


Saving Myself

by Julia3132



Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Badass Blaine, But mostly through Dirty Talk, Light D/s, Lots of plot twists and turns, M/M, Not Kurt Friendly, Please read chapter notes for warnings, Sebastian likes that ALOT, season 4
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-21
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2018-10-22 02:20:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 67
Words: 249,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10687782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Julia3132/pseuds/Julia3132
Summary: After he and Sam rescue the Nationals trophy from Dalton, Blaine is overwhelmed by a feeling that more is going on with the Warblers than he’s been told, especially with Sebastian. This starts Blaine on a journey to save the friends he left behind, the boy he has an undeniable attraction to and the person he misses the most...himself.





	1. More Than a Feeling

Blaine was sitting on the end of his bed, running a towel over his freshly washed hair. He couldn’t stop staring at the Nationals trophy that he and Sam had just _rescued_ from Dalton. Something just didn’t seem right. As much as he wanted to believe the plan the two of them had come up with was what was behind things going so smoothly, Blaine knew it wasn’t. It had been almost too easy to get it back, like Clarington had just rolled over and said “Here, it’s all yours.” And what the hell was going on with Sebastian? Yes, he had said all of that crap about turning over a new leaf and being nice, but there was something else. Granted, he hadn’t seen the former Warbler captain since Regionals, but the boy he had seen the last couple of days was not the Sebastian Smythe he knew. Maybe his concerns about Sebastian were intertwining with his concerns about the trophy rescue.

“Dude, you weren’t lying about the curls, but they’re not as bad as last year’s prom” Sam had come out from the bathroom after changing out of his Blonde Chameleon costume “but is there something wrong with the trophy? You’re staring at it awfully hard.”

“No, there’s nothing. It’s just…I don’t know. Did that almost seem too…?”

“Easy? Yeah, I noticed that too” Sam agreed “Maybe it’s because Britt calls Dalton Hogwarts, and it’s not like I was expecting a giant three-headed dog to be guarding the trophy or anything, but yeah, I expected…well, more. What’s going on Blaine?”

“I don’t know. Something is just off” after seeing the concern on the face of the boy who was rapidly becoming a very good friend, he felt the need to add “And no, this has nothing to do with my almost returning to Dalton.”

“Ok, I believe you” and Sam did because he was having the same feelings about what had happened. He sat down next to Blaine and began to stare at the trophy as well “And what’s up with Sebastian?”

“Thank you! You saw it too?”

“Hell yeah, that person was not the Sebastian Smythe we knew last year. I mean it was like that Clarington dude had his hand up his ass and was controlling him like a puppet” The moment the words came out of his mouth a look of panic came across Sam’s face “Sorry man, I meant…you know, this has nothing with Sebastian being gay and didn’t you say that Clarington said that he wasn’t even remotely bi-curious?”

Blaine tried not to laugh as Sam tripped all over himself. He knew Sam wasn’t a homophobe and was trying to be “politically correct” so he didn’t take offence. He only hoped that someday soon Sam wouldn’t feel that he had to watch what he said around him so much “Sam, stop. I know what you mean. It’s ok and I agree with your comparison. There’s another thing I have been thinking about as well. Clarington said that Dalton brought him in because his military school glee club won their Regionals and earned a Presidential Honor. If they won their Regionals, shouldn’t they have competed at Nationals? And is that Presidential Honor even a thing?”

“I hadn’t thought of that, but yeah, that just doesn’t sound right either. What do you want to do?”

“I wish we just had more information” Blaine sighed as all of their questions really had him concerned.

“Well, I heard Marley and Unique talking and evidently Unique is some sort of computer genius” Sam offered “Maybe she could help.”

Blaine thought about it but even though Sam’s idea was a good one he knew they needed something more. He got up, walked over to his desk and grabbed his wallet, pulling out a business card “That’s a great idea but I don’t want to get any other New Directions members involved. Plus, I think this will get us answers faster” He picked-up his phone and dialed the number on the card.

“Hello Mr. Motta? This is Blaine Anderson” Sam’s eyes flew open. Why would Blaine be calling Sugar’s dad? Especially considering all of the rumors about the man. By the time Sam’s shock wore off it was obvious that he had missed most of the conversation. “Thank you Mr. Motta, I mean Robert. Yes, I’ll be waiting. Talk to you soon.” Once Blaine ended the call he immediately said “I can explain.”

“You’re a Made Man in the Motta Crime Family?” Sam asked half-jokingly.

“Ha ha” Blaine retorted, even knowing that there was possibly a sliver of truth in Sam’s question “Do you remember last year at Nationals when both Sugar and I sang in the chorus of Rachel’s solo?”

“Yeah, that shocked a lot of us. Her, not you of course.”

“I had been secretly giving her voice lessons pretty much since she came over from the Trouble Tones.”

That piece of information caused Sam to have an epiphany “That’s how she got you to be the surprise guest at her Valentine’s party.”

“Yes, anyway there wasn’t a lot I could do but I got her to where she could carry a harmony within a small group. When Mr. Schue gave her the part in the chorus she was so happy that her father told me if I ever needed anything to call.” Sam’s eyes flew open once again, but Blaine stopped that train of thought “Robert, Mr. Motta, is a lawyer. He does have a few other side businesses as well, one of them being a private detective agency. He’s got his guys looking into Clarington for me. He said that hopefully he would have some information in a couple of hours.”

“Seriously?”

“Yup”

“What are you going to do?”

Blaine let out a chuckle because he literally had not thought that far ahead “I don’t know. I guess I’ll figure out my next step when I get the information from Robert.”

“You know I’ll help you with anything you want to do.”

“I know Sam, but I have a feeling this is going to be much more involved than just getting the trophy back. We’re competing against the Warblers at Sectionals in three weeks and I think anything that Robert comes up with would be better coming from me than from “the New Directions”.”

As much as Sam didn’t want to admit it, he knew what Blaine was saying made sense “Ok…for now, but if you need me you have to promise that you’ll ask.” After Blaine agreed, Sam got up and grabbed his bag “Ok, I’ve got to get back to the Hudmel’s. Are you sure you’re ok?”

“I will be once I hear from Robert. Thanks for everything you did for me today Sam. I wish there was a way to convince Finn to let us do _Heroes_ at Sectionals.”

“I know! That would be so much better than…”

Blaine put up his hand to stop him “Don’t even say it. Just…don’t.”

Two hours later, Blaine found himself back staring at the trophy. He had just gotten off the phone with Robert and was shaken by what he had been told. Robert had not been concerned with what they had been able to find on Clarington, it was what they couldn’t find that was sending up red-flags. He then told Blaine that even though there probably wouldn’t be any answers until the next day, Blaine needed to think of someone he could trust with whatever they found out. Robert didn’t believe that that Clarington had been able to get himself into Dalton without at least some assistance from the inside, and most likely that assistance was from somewhere in the administration. Blaine reassured him that he knew someone and Robert promised to call him back before school even if there was no new information.

The minute he had hung up, Blaine texted Wes Montgomery since Wes’ dad was on Dalton’s Board of Governors. Wes had been the one person from his Dalton past that Blaine had not cut out of his life. Even though Wes had been pissed when Blaine transferred to McKinley, he had never felt abandoned like the others had.

Abandoned. “Holy fucking shit!” Blaine yelled out into his empty room. He had abandoned the Warblers in much of the same fashion that Kurt abandoned him. He had gone to McKinley and made a few attempts to keep in touch like inviting them to _West Side Story_ but eventually he stopped. Hell, the Warblers had come and supported him at Sectionals and the only thing he did for them was tell Sebastian “Hey, congrats on the win” in passing. No wonder they had been so pissed at him that they agreed to the whole Slushie plan.

Now Blaine really had to talk to them. How could he have been so blind? He knew how, he had been looking at the world through Kurt colored glasses. Fuck! There was no way the guys were going to talk to him since he was pretty sure they all knew about the “No thanks” note by now. Fuck! Blaine started running his fingers through his hair in frustration. The action lifted his head back and broke his focus on the trophy. When he adjusted his gaze, he was now looking at the top shelf of his bookcase where all of his comic memorabilia was. Seeing this instantaneously brought an idea to mind, although it was really out there. He ran to his desk drawer and rummaged around for something he had put away the year before. A burner phone. Knowing the battery would obviously be dead, he let out a cheer when he found the charger right away. Even being on a direct electrical charge it took the phone a couple of minutes to power on. Ignoring the over 2,500 missed texts and 1,200 missed calls he quickly put in the three names he was looking for and sent a group text.

_Out building 27. One hour. This is not a drill._

Blaine grabbed his keys and headed out the door, leaving the phone behind on the charger. He didn’t want to give those he had texted the chance to tell him no, even though by rule they couldn’t. At least he hoped that was still the case.

Light traffic allowed him to reach his destination much faster than he anticipated and he was relieved to see those that he had texted were already there. They just didn’t look very happy.

“Thank you for coming. I wasn’t sure that you would” Blaine admitted.

“Well, if Blaine would have texted we probably wouldn’t have, but since you did we didn’t have much of a choice now did we?” Jeff asked.

Oh yeah, this wasn’t going to be easy.

“Just tell us what you want” Nick’s tone demonstrated that his attitude was not much different than his blonde friend’s.

“You have anything you want to add Thad?” Blaine thought it would be better if he could assess how all three of them felt prior to getting started. When Thad refused to say anything, he got his message loud and clear “Fine, just tell me what the fuck is going on guys.”

“None of your business anymore” Jeff told him.

“Yeah, _No thanks_ ” Nick was quick to bring up, while Thad remained silent.

Blaine took a deep breath and just let it all out “Ok, sure, I said _No thanks_ , but when I got home I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. Sam thought so too. It was almost too easy to get the trophy back. Clarington seemed to have put an awful lot of work into his plan for that to happen. It couldn’t have been an oversight. Then, Sam and I really got talking and began to question Clarington’s entire story. If his military school won their Regionals with Presidential Honors, why weren’t they at Nationals? So, I called in a favor and have a private detective looking into his story.”

“You did what!?!” the three Warblers yelled back. Well, at least Thad was talking to him now.

“Blaine, you can’t do this” Nick almost pleaded, which only ratcheted Blaine’s anxiety higher “And Sam knows? You have to keep him out of this.”

That last comment was the final straw for Blaine “What the fuck is going on? NOW!”

“We don’t know for sure” Jeff admitted in defeat “Hunter is scary Blaine. Like psycho scary, but the Head Master brought him in and after everything that happened with you last year, it’s like he’s had it out for the Warblers. It was our idea to try to get you to come back. We thought if we showed how we had worked things out with the New Directions everything could get back to normal.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Blaine was completely confused, and quite frankly, a little angry “The Head Master said there was nothing he could do to Sebastian because there was no proof and when did the Warblers and new Directions make nice? When I shook Sebastian’s hand at Regionals?”

“Ok, now what the hell are you talking about?” It appeared that Thad finally had something to say and he was MORE than a little angry “Sebastian turned himself in to the Head Master the next morning. He took all of the blame even though the rocks salt Slushie idea was mine and the rest of us talked him into doing it. We were still pissed that you left us for Hummel of all people.”

Blaine sat down on the ground before his knees gave out “He turned himself in? He took all of the blame? The Head Master knew?”

Jeff and Nick realized what was going on with Blaine, but Thad sure didn’t “Yeah, so Hummel and that Santana chick wasted their time getting that confession. I mean, they went through all of that for you to turn around and give the tape back to Sebastian. What the fuck, Blaine?”

Nick pushed Thad away “Shut the fuck up, Thad! Look at him. He obviously didn’t know.” Thad finally calmed down enough to realize what had happened. He wanted to say something, but what?

Jeff sat down on the ground across from Blaine “Blaine, you didn’t tell Kurt to give the tape to Sebastian, did you?”

When Blaine lifted his head, none of the three other boys were able to tell if his tears were from being sad, or from being really, really pissed off “I never knew there was a tape.”

“Holy fuck! I knew I never liked that asshole” Thad had always had a thing against Kurt since the whole “You mock us sir” incident. He and Nick sat next to Jeff and waited for Blaine to take the lead on what happened next.

Blaine took cleansing breaths to calm his nerves and stop his tears, which definitely were not from sadness “He knew how I felt about not having quote/unquote proof of what happened. He knew it! It’s not like I would have used it, but after what happened at Sadie Hawkins and no one being punished because there was no proof, I needed it, you know. He took that away from me. God, after all that I did for him. That I did to protect him. From the moment I met him, he was just so lost and broken, I couldn’t let what happened to me happen to him, you know?” Jeff, Nick and Thad each nodded as Blaine was making sure that he knew that they understood what he was trying to say. In fact, they probably understood things better than they had in a long time.

“What are you going to do now Blaine?” Nick asked.

“I don’t know. I’ll ask Sam tomorrow if he knows about the whole tape giveback…” Blaine stopped when the others started looking back and forth between each other “What else don’t I know guys?”

“Blaine, Sam knew. All of last year’s New Directions knew. All of us Warblers went to McKinley and had this big kumbaya moment with them. Well, actually we sang _Black or White_ ” Jeff explained.

“Except Sebastian” Thad corrected “He was still in _I’m the asshole, blame me_ mode.”

Blaine tried to wrap his head around all of the information he had been given. None of this had been anywhere on his radar when he texted his three friends earlier. But now, now he found out Sebastian had taken responsibility and Kurt had done…done…oh hell, he couldn’t even think about that yet. He knew that there was going to be nothing he could do until he talked to Sam, but the original problem still needed to be dealt with and with that there was one question Blaine hadn’t asked yet “What’s going on between Sebastian and Clarington?”

“He’s still doing penitence” Thad huffed “Like we said, there is something bat-shit crazy about Clarington and Sebastian is either keeping the crazy down or away from us, one or the other.”

“I hate to tell you this” Jeff was trying to figure out a way to say what he needed to without Blaine blaming himself “After you turned us down today, Sebastian kicked Trent off the Warblers.”

Out of everything he had heard since he arrived, Blaine somehow found that the most shocking “Trent? Why Trent? And Sebastian said he wasn’t captain.”

“No, but he’s Hunter’s number two. All we can think of is something’s going down and he’s protecting him.”

“From what?” Blaine knew how much Trent loved being a Warbler, and this news was breaking his heart.

“Like we keep saying, we don’t know but think it’s going to be bad” Thad stated “Blaine, I’m an asshole, I admit it. And these two, while they seem like nice guys on the outside, they can push back when shoved. Trent? Well…”

“He’s a puppy” Blaine finished, finally understanding what the others had been inferring.

Trying to not be overwhelmed by everything, Blaine stood up and started to walk around. For the first time since he arrived he got a good look at the place, other than the Warblers’ Commons, that had been his sanctuary. He didn’t realize until that moment how much he had missed it, but being mindfully there gave him the clarity to understand what should happen next.

“Ok, this is what’s going to happen. I will keep you three informed about any information my contact gives me, but you guys have to keep me informed about what happens tomorrow especially with Clarington and Sebastian. Tomorrow when I go to McKinley, I’m going to let Sam know what’s going on. I know he is an outsider, but after everything you told me, I need someone I can talk to there and he’s not going to say anything. The same code of secrecy we share here, he and I share but through comics. Now, I’m assuming that since tomorrow is the Thursday before a four-day weekend, what we can’t talk about is happening.”

“We have no idea what you are talking about” Jeff said with a wide smile that was matched by the others. When the three of them had received the text earlier, this was what they had been hoping for.

“Fine, I understand, but say I was guessing that since this was the first four-day weekend of the year a King of the Mountain Challenge was made and knowing Clarington’s a self-absorbed douche, he made it. And say I wanted to get a hold of the Rules Council and claim a Legacy Exemption, but not talk about it or anything like that.”

Yup! This was exactly what they had wanted “Would you want to keep it secret, hypothetically speaking of course.” Nick wanted to know.

“I would have whoever put me down as Hugh Jackman, if I could talk about it ” Blaine said with a wink “And before you start to worry, I have spent A LOT of time in front of the heavy bag lately. I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t know for a fact that I could kick his ass.”

The four talked for about another hour. Blaine told them about Kurt and the other guy as well as his text to Wes. Then they discussed a plan on how to secretly get Blaine into Jeff and Nick’s dorm room the next evening so he could prepare. For the first time in what seemed like forever, things felt right between the four of them which was why it was so hard for Blaine to leave. It was also why Jeff felt the need to say “Blaine, as much as we love the idea of what’s going to happen, you can’t do this to save us. You can’t do it for Sebastian either.”

Blaine turned back to look at them and said with complete sincerity “Guys, I promise that I’m not. If I am trying to save anyone, I’m trying to save myself.”

 

Note:

Couldn’t get it out of my head, so I'm just going to have to go ahead and write this. Let me know what you think.

 


	2. Hugh Jackman comes to Fight Club

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plan is set in motion but Sam discovers cause for concern. Later in the evening Sebastian gets the shock of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter comes to you as I admit (unapologetically) that I plagiarized some of it (and the next chapter), from myself. I have always loved this Blaine, but he had been written in a one-shot. I had contemplated expanding the story at the time, but something didn’t seem right. Last week (for reasons still unknown to me) I reread that fic and realized the problem. This Blaine was originally written in a Blam story, but he belonged with Sebastian.  
> Now that I have talked about my love for "this Blaine" I should note that "this Blaine" really doesn't show up until next chapter.

After returning the trophy to Finn and a rather awesome performance of _Some Nights_ , Blaine updated Sam on all of his information, including what he had found out from Mr. Motta. Never the less, Sam still had questions. Blaine had no issues answering them especially since he and the Dalton guys agreed that it was for the best if he did.

“Ok, so why do you guys only fight the night before a four-day weekend?”

“Seriously? All that information and that’s your question?” Blaine teased “It’s because it gives facial bruising time to heal or at least lighten to where it can be covered with make-up before we go back to classes. We have a team that puts ice or even raw meat on fighters right away if necessary. We’ll have fights before longer breaks too, but only guys that are not immediately headed home can fight. By the way, we do have medical attention on stand-by in case of a bigger injury occurs.”

Blaine’s explanation made Sam laugh “Only you prep school boys would come up with a rule like that. Hell, only you guys would put rules on a fight club in the first place. Next question, did anyone here at McKinley, besides Finn, know about all of this?”

“Yeah, actually Puck, Dave Karofsky and a bunch of other jocks, but since they had actually seen me fight they had signed registration forms so they couldn’t talk about it without consequences. I’m pretty sure Dave didn’t recognize me at first, but when he went after me at that stupid Night of Neglect he finally did. He looked really glad that Santana had stepped in.”

For the second time in 24 hours Sam had an epiphany “That’s why you were never Slushied and neither was Kurt after he returned from Dalton. Yeah, there was that whole Prom Queen thing, but that was anonymous so people could get away with it. Is that why Karofsky agreed to that Bully Whips thing, to make amends so you didn’t kick his ass?”

“Maybe a little, but it was mostly Santana threatening to out him.”

“Wow, that takes on a whole new meaning with everything that happened” Sam stated while Blaine nodded in agreement. Sam’s next question was harder to answer “Blaine, what are you going to do about Kurt?”

“I don’t know.”

“I’m so sorry for any part I played, but again I don’t think the rest of the New Directions knew what Kurt was going to do either.”

“Sam, you have nothing to be sorry about. As far as the others are concerned, I know in my head they probably had no idea, but…”

“Blaine, seriously, are you going to able to forgive them?”

“Again, all I can say is I don’t know. I can tell you that if last year’s team was still here I would most likely have left by now” Blaine admitted “I swear I have nothing against this year’s club” then with a smile he added “especially you. Finn is another story, but he and I always had problems.” After that bit of honesty, he stood up and announced “I better go so I can get ready for tonight.”

“I really wish you would let me go with you. You know I wouldn’t say anything.”

“Sam, I know but as I said before, someone could find out and this can’t be a New Directions vs Warblers thing. I’m the only one that no one would question being in both places. I promise that I will call you tomorrow and let you know what happened.” Sam remained worried but gave his friend a hug and let him go.

When Blaine reached Jeff and Nick’s room he was met with some bad news. The current King had been pissed that he had been bumped from his fight for a Legacy and had spoken out about it. Not only that but he had seen Blaine’s fake name and those people he told had figured out who was fighting. While the boys were still contemplating possible consequences for those that leaked the news, Blaine received a text from Sam. Evidently Puck was back in town and had invited Sam and Finn to come with him to watch the fights at Dalton.

“Guys this can’t happen. I have worked too hard to keep what’s going on here from the New Directions.” Most of the Warblers that were there didn’t know if Blaine being this pissed was a good thing or a bad thing. Good in that it was pumping up his adrenaline to fight Hunter, but bad in that it could become a distraction. However, those on the Rules Council knew it wasn’t an issue.

“Blaine this is not a problem” Jeff assured him “After an incident last year we instituted a rule that anytime a Dalton matter was being settled in Fight Club the gates would be locked and only Dalton students would be admitted. The gate guards have been verifying IDs all day so that no one without official business was able to get on campus. I also got a text from Jimmy saying that the Head Master left 20 minutes ago and he and Phil locked the gates. No one is getting in Blaine. Everything is fine.”

“That’s brilliant.” Blaine said probably a little louder than he wanted, but it showed how truly relieved he was “How did you get the guards to do that?”

“We asked nicely.”

While all of this was going on in Jeff and Nick’s room, Sebastian and Hunter were getting ready in theirs.

“You better not be lying to me Smythe.”

“I have told you a million fucking times that I don’t know who the fuck Wolverine is!” Sebastian was completely frustrated. Hunter had been harping on this ever since he found out that his original opponent had been replaced by this Wolverine “I only know of Wolverine because I overheard the Rules Council talking about him but they never mentioned his real name. He had already left before I got here. And you know I couldn’t ask anyone else because the first rule of Fight Club is…You. Don’t. Talk. About. Fight Club!”

“Fine, I believe you” Hunter relented “Now let’s get going. I want to place a bet before things get too crazy.”

“Are you really stupid enough to bet on yourself?” Sebastian asked. When Hunter didn’t answer an almost sickening feeling came over him “You better not be hopped up on steroids Clarington. I swear, if you are, I don’t care what happens to me. I will report you.”

“Oh for the love of god, I told you I wouldn’t when you came up with the idea to get the Golden Boy here, even though you wouldn’t actually participate. For your information, I haven’t shot up in five days. But remember, since your precious Blaine said _No thanks_ , my plan for the Warblers starts Tuesday.”

Sebastian had hoped beyond hope that Blaine would have agreed to come back even though he knew it had been a long shot. Now he only had four days to come up with a plan to stop Hunter. He had gotten Trent out of the line of fire by kicking him off the Warblers, but he had no clue of how to protect the others.

As they headed out the door Hunter let out a snicker “You know Smythe, sometimes you forget that I am your fucking babysitter and not the other way around. Your dad may have been State’s Attorney but Mr. Flawless’ boyfriend, or is it ex, whatever, his dad is a fucking United States Congressman.” Hunter paused for a moment, knowing he had said something he shouldn’t have “You know what, forget it. Let’s go” and he started to walk again.

Sebastian wasn’t going to let it go, especially if Kurt Hummel involved, but he knew it would have to wait as he dealt with all of this other crap first. By the time he and Hunter were half way to where the fights were being held, they found it hard not to notice the large amount of boys headed in the same direction.

“Is it always like this?” Hunter asked.

“Yeah, but I can’t help but notice that these are only guys from Dalton. That’s unusual.” Actually it was very unusual but Sebastian didn’t want to say that out loud. No one had informed him that the fight was going to be locked down even though he was on staff. Something definitely didn’t feel right.

“Listen in on what people are saying” Hunter told him “Maybe we can find out what’s going on.”

Sebastian did just that but it was clear that the lack of outsiders was not what anyone was talking about.

_“Is it really him?”_

_“That’s what everyone is saying.”_

_“I thought he was a myth. You know like an urban legend.”_

_“Are you sure it’s the same guy? I find it hard to believe.”_

_“I can’t wait to see him kick that pompous douche’s ass.”_

At the other end of the campus the crowd gathered on the wrong side of the locked gate had begun to clear out. However, the boys from Lima were walking the perimeter to see if they could find a way in.

“I can’t believe I came back from LA for this and we can’t get in” Puck grumbled.

“I know. This is bull shit!” Finn stated with a noticeable whine in his voice. Ever since Blaine had let it slip about Dalton’s Fight Club he had been wanting to see a fight. “Sam, you and Blaine broke in here to rescue the trophy. How did you do it?”

Sam tried to quickly come up with a reasonable answer so he wouldn’t have to reveal how they actually got in “First of all, Blaine was with me and he knew how to get in since he had gone here. Then there’s the fact that the place wasn’t locked down like a prison at the time.”

They were about to head back to the car when they saw a couple of other guys coming toward them from the opposite direction “Hey, I know this is probably a stupid question, but did you find anything?” Puck asked.

“Nah” one of the guys said “Nothing. Plus, they have security walking the grounds.”

“Well shit. That settles that” Puck huffed in frustration “Now we have to drive all the way back to Lima. Fuck!”

“At least we live here in Westerville. By the way, I’m Toby and this is Wyatt.”

“Puck, Finn and Sam”

“Nice to meet you and too bad you drove all this way. We heard there’s some serious shit going down tonight” Wyatt informed them.

“How can you talk about it?” Sam asked, but then wondered how they could possibly know what was happening and decided that he should probably listen to what they were going to say.

“We never signed the blood oath.”

“It’s not a blood oath, it’s just a registration form” Puck slapped his hand over his mouth once he realized what he had said.

Finn went wide-eyed and turned to his best friend “You’ve been to a fight before?! When?! With who?! Where was I?! What the fuck dude?!”

“Um, yes, junior year, with some of the guys from the football team, you were having sex with Sam’s girlfriend.” That answer stopped any further questions.

Now both of the Westerville boys went wide-eyed, but Sam didn’t care (Well, maybe he cared a little. He had really liked Quinn). “So, how do you know what’s going on?” he asked “You obviously don’t go to Dalton or you would be inside the gate.”

“One of our friends graduated from here. We all got drunk one night this summer and he told us what goes on. He about had a panic attack the next morning when he realized what he had done” Wyatt told them.

“We never promised not to talk about it, but we did promise to never use his name if he let us know when the next fight was” Toby added.

“So, you’re blackmailing your friend” Finn pointed out.

“Well, you slept with your friend’s girlfriend.”

Since there was no real way to respond to that, Sam knew he had to get the conversation back to Fight Club so he could find out more information from their new acquaintances “Whatever, water under the bridge (mostly). What I want to know is what’s going on behind that gate.”

Puck held up his hand to stop the others from starting “Finn, Sam, I can’t stop these guys from telling you about Fight Club. If they want to take their lives into their own hands that’s none of my business. However, I have signed the registration so I can’t talk about it. Also, since you haven’t signed the registration and I brought you here, I am responsible for your silence. If you talk about this to anyone and it gets back to me, I will pay the consequences just like their friend will when people find out they’re talking.” Puck then turned to the others and said “And I assure you, the club’s Rules Council will find out.” Once he felt they had all been sufficiently warned he asked “Now, are you still sure you want to do this?”

When they all nodded, Puck waved his arm as a sign for the two Westerville guys to begin.

“So, Dalton Fight Club is like a ladder. You win, you go up a step. You lose, you go down. On top of the ladder is the King. If the King doesn’t have someone to fight one night, anyone who transferred to Dalton in either their Junior of Senior year can call for a King of the Mountain Challenge. If he wins, he pushes the King off the top and becomes the new King” Wyatt explained.

“Your saying there’s a King of the Mountain Challenge tonight?” Finn tried to clarify what they were talking about since it was a lot of information to sort out.

“Yes” Toby confirmed “But the King was told he wasn’t fighting tonight. He got pissed and told a bunch of people which is probably the reason for the lockdown.” Sam noted that they were wrong about the reason for the lockdown, but that had been the only thing they got wrong.

“The reason he was bumped was for what’s called a Legacy Exemption. A King in good standing that had to leave Dalton before he graduated becomes known as a Legacy. When he leaves he’s given an Exemption. The Legacy can come back and play that Exemption at any time. No questions asked. That’s what happening tonight in the King of the Mountain Challenge.” Then Toby added “We did a lot of digging around and found out that there is only one Legacy at this time. We couldn’t find out his real name, but we know he fights under the name Wolverine.”

Puck tried very hard to not show any sign of how surprised he was since he knew Wolverine was the name Blaine fought under.

Sam tried very hard to not show any signs of how concerned he was since he knew Blaine and the other guys in Fight Club had a huge problem on their hands.

They had a leak.

At the same time that Sam was learning about the leak, Sebastian and Hunter finally reached where the fights were being held. There was a huge line to get in due to the fact that everyone that was not a fighter or staff had to show their Dalton picture ID to get in. There were no exceptions. One of the guys at the door had even sent away his own roommate who had forgotten his ID.

Since Sebastian was staff and Hunter was fighting they got in pretty easily and when they did they both headed over to the betting table. Hunter wanted to make his bet and Sebastian was supposed to work the table but when he got there he was informed that his assistance wasn’t necessary.

“So, you’re not working? That means you can bet on me.” Hunter said when found out.

“I didn’t bring money asshole because I thought I wouldn’t be able to bet” Sebastian was getting frustrated. He knew something was going on that he didn’t know about. As soon as he could ditch Hunter he was going to find out exactly what it was.

“Well, I brought money” Hunter pulled a huge wad of cash out of his jacket pocket.

“Holy fuck, Clarington! Put that shit away. How much did you bring?”

“Ten G”

Sebastian ran his fingers through his hair and let out a deep breath “You brought ten thousand dollars to bet on yourself. That was probably the most asinine thing you have ever done and that’s saying a lot.”

“Aw, and I was going to buy you something pretty with my winnings” Hunter said with a wink before leaving to go back to the betting table.

Once Hunter was gone Sebastian went to look for Thad. By the time he found him some of the undercard fights had already taken place. “Thad, what the hell is going on. Why was I told I wasn’t needed to work tonight?”

“The guys and I thought you would enjoy a night off.”

“Funny Harwood. Try telling the truth this time.”

“Ok fine. The guys and I thought you would enjoy watching your supposed best friend get his ass kicked.”

“You have that much faith in this Wolverine guy?” Sebastian asked in disbelief.

Thad could not hold back his smile “Let’s just say I put a thousand bucks down on Wolverine to win. Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s about time for the main event.”

Since he had a good view of the fight area, Sebastian stayed where he was. It seemed like it took forever, but finally it was time for the fight. However, before things could start Jeff came out and announced that the King had been stripped of his title and all Fight Club privileges. When he was finished, Thad came out to introduce the fighters. Sebastian had to laugh when no one said a thing during Hunter’s introduction, but when it was finished a low and slow chant begun.

_“Wol-ver-ine! Wol-ver-ine! Wol-ver-ine!”_

The crowd kept up the chant but it became louder and faster. When Wolverine finally entered the area, the crowd went nuts. They were obviously all there to see him and he understood why. Wolverine absolutely oozed sex and Sebastian had no idea how he was going to watch this guy fight without literally coming in his pants.

Everything about Wolverine turned Sebastian on. The boy had a head full of soft brown curls that he could feel his fingers itching to get a hold of. He wasn’t wearing a shirt which showed off his lean, toned upper body. He had a hint of washboard abs, defined but not crazy. On top of all of that, he was wearing the tightest pair of three-quarter length sweat pants (hell, they were practically leggings) that accentuated this perfect a…

Sebastian froze, remembering a time when he told a boy that he would recognize his hair anywhere. That was a lie. It was the boy’s ass he would recognize anywhere. The ass that was 100 feet away from him getting ready to fight his psychotic roommate.

Blaine Anderson was Wolverine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The consequences of Blaine’s slip up to Finn about Fight Club will be addressed in a future chapter.
> 
> This entire fic will not be Fight Club centered, just this chapter and the next. However, it will be discussed throughout, especially in dealing with the leak.
> 
> Thanks again for reading.


	3. Wolverine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian sees a side of Blaine that he never expected. He really likes it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Consider this Part II of Chapter 2. That was the set-up and this is the payoff (at least I think it is).
> 
> Sebastian will have an inner monologue in this chapter. It will be in bold italics.
> 
> This chapter is Rated M (perhaps even M+) for reasons that include fight club violence (minor).

_Blaine Anderson is Wolverine._

That realization turned Sebastian from horny to panicked in an instant. He took-off towards Blaine but a hand grabbed his arm and stopped him after only a few steps.

“Sebastian, you have to let Blaine do this” Trent told him in the way that only he could.

Tears came to Sebastian’s eyes as he practically begged to be let go “Trent, I can’t see him fall to the ground like that again. I can’t hear him scream out like that again. I ran away last time. I won’t do that again. You have to let me stop him.”

“You’re not running away” Trent assured him as his tears had finally begun to fall “You’re letting him do what he needs to do. Sebastian, we’ve all known that you have been in love with Blaine since the moment you saw him and it broke you when Slushie-gate happened. This is his way of bringing you back to us. You have to trust him and you have to trust us that we would _never_ let Blaine be hurt like that again.”

Sebastian wiped his eyes, took a deep breath and then gave his friend a small smile “Damn, you all picked the right guy to stop me. If Thad would have said that crap to me I would have punched him.”

“Well, you’re in the right place for that” Trent teased “Come on, let’s see our boy do his thing. Besides singing of course.” The two of them got settled just as Blaine and Hunter started to circle each other. Everyone knew that meant it was time for the trash talk to begin.

“Well Anderson, you’re the infamous Wolverine. I’m kind of surprised you agreed to this.”

“I don’t see why, Clarington."

“Look at you and then look at me. I’ve got you by at least 6 inches and 15 pounds. Plus, I went to military school where they trained us to fight in war. What are you going to do? _Sing_ me into submission?” **_Fuck, Hunter’s right. Blaine is a lot smaller than he is._**

Blaine laughed “Do you know why they call me Wolverine? It’s not after the X-man.” **_Really_** _?_ “It’s because even though I may be small, when I fight I am like a vicious animal. I have no worries about you.” **_Oh my god, I am sooooooo turned on right now._**

“Oooooooowwwwwwwww!” replied the crowd, appreciating the zinger that Wolverine had gotten in.

“Then why are we wearing these boxing gloves?” **_Shut up dickwad. You are not hurting my B’s beautiful face._**

“I’m a musician asshole. I need my hands and I don’t know what damage punching your face 40 or 50 times will do to them.” **_What do you know? Who knew Blaine could be such a bad ass? Well, I guess that would be practically everyone but me._**

“Oooooooowwwwwwwww!” Same response from the crowd, but they all agreed that come back was better than the first.

Thad stepped between the fighters as he was their referee. “OK, you agreed to the terms of the fight. No rounds. No clocks. Victory by submission, knock out or disqualification. The officials the two of you agreed to are myself and there, there, there, there and there. Any of us can call a foul but at least one other official must agree with it. Agreed?” **_Leave it to prep school boys to set up a fight club with disqualifications and officials._**

When both fighters acknowledged the officials, Thad continued “Since this is a King of the Mountain Challenge the only fouls are blows to the throat or crotch. First offense is a warning. Second disqualification.” With everything explained, Thad stepped back to let the trash talking resume.

“Who wrote such stupid rules?” Hunter complained “The throat and crotch should be fair game.”

“Hey, I wrote those rules. What can I say? I sing and I’m a teenage boy so those particular body parts are very important to me. Besides from what I’ve heard, due to your shall we say extra-curricular activities, crotch shots won’t be an issue because, you know, _shrinking_ reasons.” **_Shit! Blaine knows about the steroids!_**

The crowd didn’t respond that time as they tried to figure out what Wolverine was talking about.

“I can tell you that I have absolutely no issues in that area” Hunter smirked.

Blaine took a couple of steps closer to his opponent and replied “Not even remotely bi-curious my ass. Oh, and by the way, how’s the pussy?” **_Fuck! Things just got real. Bad ass Blaine is my hero!_**

That time the crowd just responded with laughter. Even they knew how much what Wolverine said would piss off Hunter. Plus, they all hated that damn cat.

“Enough talking! I’m going to kick your ass!” **_Yup, he’s pissed!_**

“Not going to happen.”

 Hunter took a swing at Blaine but he was able to get out of the way before it hit. Then they really started to have at it. This wasn’t one of those fights where the participants took some time to feel each other out. Blaine got in a few good body blows before Hunter landed his first punch. Sebastian groaned every time Blaine took a hit which made Trent think that maybe this hadn’t been such a good idea after all. What Trent didn’t realize was that Sebastian actually groaned because he was so fucking turned-on watching Blaine that he was trying everything possible to stop his oncoming erection. They weren’t working.

Sebastian was sure he had finally discovered where the title _Sex on a stick_ came from.

The way that Blaine’s curls were slicked down by sweat was driving him crazy. Also, the sweat was not just in his hair but all over his body and it literally made his skin glow. **_What would it be like for Blaine to look just like that only naked and riding me like a race horse in the Kentucky Derby?_**

Then there was the way his normally bright, shiny eyes were dark and dangerous and how whenever he landed a good punch the right corner of Blaine’s mouth would go up causing an evil smirk. **_I wonder if he would make that same face if I was sucking his cock?_**

Last but not least, the way every muscle in Blaine’s compact, perfect body would ripple when he threw a punch or just moved around the area. **_Damn, I just want to run my tongue over every inch of him._**

A thud pulled Sebastian out of his masturbatory fantasies. Every dirty thought he had had left him as he and Trent started to push their way through the crowd. When they finally reached the fight area they saw a body lying on the ground. It wasn’t Blaine. Blaine was standing off to the side as Jeff removed his gloves and Thad waved smelling salts at Hunter.

He was the most beautiful thing that Sebastian had ever seen.

None of them said a word but Jeff stepped aside to let Sebastian stand in front of Blaine. They stared at each other for a minute before Blaine asked “If we went back to your room to talk would your roommate be an issue?”

“My roommate is over there lying unconscious on the ground.”

“Good, let’s go.”

They just left, not even saying a word to their friends. None of them cared. Blaine and Sebastian were talking again and that’s all that mattered. When they reached the room Sebastian locked the door in case Hunter returned, but Blaine knew that wasn’t going to be an issue.

“So, what do you want to talk about Blaine?” Sebastian asked. He looked Blaine in the eyes and noticed that they were dark and dangerous like they had been during the fight. Sebastian hoped that meant what he thought it did.

“I don’t want to talk.”

“Oh, thank god” and in an instant the two of them crashed into each other with lips, tongues and hands going everywhere. Since Blaine had been pretty much naked to begin with and his sweats and underwear came off in one fell swoop, getting Sebastian to the same condition became the priority. Less than a minute later they were both naked. However, now they had calmed down, each taking in the sight of something they had dreamed about in the past.

Blaine broke their connection when he walked over to Sebastian’s bed (giving a little ass wiggle for affect) and sat down in the middle with his back against the headboard. He looked over at Sebastian but then stared down at his own cock. He then lifted his gaze back up before he asked…

“What are you waiting for?”

Evidently nothing for in a flash he was also on his bed with Blaine’s cock in his mouth and his hands sliding under him so he could grab ahold of that perfect ass he had been staring for so long. Once Sebastian gained a rhythm, Blaine’s fingers found a way to became entwined in his hair. He pulled a little too hard, but Sebastian didn’t care. That slight pain along with fact that he had Blaine Anderson’s cock down his throat was giving him more pleasure than he had ever known.

He had been so hard for so long that he reached down to take care of himself, but Blaine stopped him “No Bas, hold on. Let me take care of you. I’m going to…Oh, fuck!”

He had said earlier that Blaine, after he knocked out Hunter, was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen but he was wrong. Blaine’s face while riding out an orgasm was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

A couple of kisses later and Sebastian couldn’t take it anymore “Killer, I’m so close. Please, it won’t take much.”

Blaine moved over to lay on his side and Sebastian did the same but made sure they were face to face. Blaine took his fingers and lightly moved them up and down Sebastian’s abs and inner thighs, never touching the one spot that Sebastian needed him to. “About that” Blaine said while never losing eye contact “You see, I just remembered how you spent the last year teasing me.”

That brought out a rather impressive moan from Sebastian because he didn’t like the sound of where this was going.

The fingers kept lightly touching, moving closer, but still not reaching where Sebastian needed them to be. Blaine rolled his eyes up to make it look like he was thinking and then he began to list “The whole bashful schoolboy thing, super hot!”

Moan

“Dancing at Scandals”

Moooaaan

“I want you back.”

Moooaaann

“Glad you came.”

“Blaine, pleeaassse!”

“Let’s not even mention the number of times I caught you staring at my ass.”

“Killer, please, please, I have to come!”

Blaine took hold of his chin and made Sebastian look him in the eyes. Then in a low, authoritative voice said “You can come Bas. You can come right now.” And he did. The best orgasm of his life and it happened without his dick being touched even once.  

As Sebastian laid there in his blissed out state, Blaine went to his bathroom and brought back towels to clean up with. He then sat down on the edge of the bed and took Sebastian’s free hand in his “I hate to do this, but I really need to get back to Nick and Jeff’s to change. There’s still a lot that needs to be done.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Didn’t I tell you? As soon as Hunter can make it back to the main building he’s being arrested.”

That information brought Sebastian to his senses “Um, no! I think I would have remembered that!”

“Evidently Hunter did go to a military school in Colorado until he was kicked out for pushing steroids…eight years ago. Since then he’s been in and out of jail for dealing drugs, but was somehow able to forge a birth certificate and academic transcript to get accepted here.”

“How the hell did you find all of this out?”

“When Sam and I came back here to get the trophy we both felt something was strange about Hunter so I got a private detective to look into it.”

“Killer, you and Sam were here yesterday.”

“I got a good private detective.”

“Blaine…”

“Ok, Robert Motta got me a private detective.”

Sebastian was floored “You went to the mob to investigate Hunter?!”

“Robert’s not in the mob. He’s a lawyer with a few side businesses. His daughter Sugar is in New Directions and I gave her voice lessons. He said if I ever needed a favor to call him so I did.”

Sebastian put his hands on Blaine’s cheeks, gave him a kiss and then brought their foreheads together “Blaine, I have always known you’re amazing, but everything you’ve done for the Warblers, for me…I just can’t thank…”

Blaine interrupted him before he could go any further “None of that. Seriously. Are we ok?”

“Absolutely” Sebastian said with a wink.

Blaine took a deep breath and then brought their hands back together “Bas, we need to talk about what happened here.”

 ** _Play it cool, Smythe. He just wants to talk. Ok, say something_** …“Bas?”

“Is that ok?”

“It’s great. Now what about what happened here?” **_Please don’t say it was a mistake…Please don’t say it was a mistake._**

“When I finish a fight I always have extra energy, adrenaline that I have to get rid of. I just wanted you to know that I have never done anything like this before. I don’t regret what happened… ** _Hell yeah!_**...it’s just that I have come off a spectacularly bad break-up with Kurt… ** _Grrr, Hummel_** …and I need to find myself, save myself, before moving on. I just don’t want to lose you again while I’m doing that.”

“Killer, from what I’ve seen the last couple of days you are well on your way. I promise I will stay firmly in the friend zone for as long as you need me to. Even if that is forever.” **_Please don’t let it be forever._**

“But you’d like the Blaine from earlier to come out and play every once in a while.”

“Not denying that” Sebastian said with a smile that brought out a very noticeable blush to Blaine’s cheeks.

“Damn Killer, how can you go from sex god to bashful schoolboy in five minutes?”

Blaine answered with a shrug “I don’t know. I’m just really talented.”

The next few days were extremely busy for Blaine. So busy that he and Sebastian were only able to text, which they did it several times a day. The one phone call that he did make was to Jeff to tell him about what Sam told him. Someone was leaking information about Fight Club and there were a couple of assholes out there somewhere that were talking.

Tuesday morning before classes resumed, the Warblers were summoned to meet in the commons. The Fight Club Rules Council (with newly added member Sebastian) met there a half hour early to discuss what Sam had told Blaine.

“So, all we know is that two guys named Toby and Wyatt know practically everything about Fight Club which they supposedly learned from a drunk friend that went to Dalton” Sebastian was trying to get the facts straight since he was new to this. Like last night Jeff, Nick and Thad showed up at his room and said “Hey, want to be on the Fight Club Rules Council?”

“We also know that Toby and Wyatt live in Westerville” Jeff added “We don’t know their last names or if they went to school at Westerville High but if they did when? Sam tried to get their license plate number, but by then it was too dark. I’m really glad we told Blaine to go ahead and fill Sam in on everything going on.”

“Speaking of Sam” Sebastian was glad he had been given an opening “do any of you know if…”

Thad started to laugh “You can chill out Sebastian. Sam is totally straight and has a girlfriend named Brittany. He and Blaine are just friends but for some reason call themselves Blam.”

That made Sebastian feel much better but he couldn’t help but add “Shame. Such a waste of those god given lips.”

By this time the rest of the Warblers had arrived so they all took a seat and waited for the Head Master. However, that was not the man who came.

“Good morning boys. Many of you have already met me, but for those that haven’t my name is Wesley Montgomery Sr. and I am a member of the Dalton Board of Governors. Now let’s get down to business because there is a lot of it to cover. First of all, yes, Hunter Clarington is a 25 year old drug dealing ex-con that was arrested Thursday night on several charges that we will not be discussing but you could probably find out on the internet. Also, Head Master Williams has been fired and may face prosecution for his role in Clarington’s crimes. I will be acting Head Master until a permanent replacement can be found.”

“We are advising everyone to not talk to the press, of which there is a lot of outside of the gate. Those of you that are under 18 cannot be interviewed without parent permission so just say that. For those of you that are over 18, we cannot tell you that you cannot speak to them. Just know that if you do it will be frowned upon.”

The boys all looked at each other in disbelief. This shit had gone much deeper than they thought.

“That is what we will be telling the entire student body. Now for you Warblers. The Board of Governors have spent hours this weekend not only talking to many of you but also your parents, former students and members of the community. After gathering copious amounts of information, we determined that everything that happened could be traced back to the incident known as Slushie-gate.”

Those that had been there glanced over at Sebastian who looked completely defeated. Without saying a word, the rest of them decided that Sebastian had been punished enough and if they had to go down, they would go down.

“Let me tell you, none of were happy to hear about this, but we have determined that no further punishments will be administered concerning that issue.”  

The expressions of relief on the boys’ faces didn’t go unnoticed, but Mr. Montgomery wasn’t finished “However, any Warbler that was at Slushie-gate will remain on probation for the rest of the academic year. If you have no further troubles the incident will be erased from your permanent record. If you have further troubles Slushie-gate will be held against you also. I will also tell you that no mention of the incident will show up on the official transcripts we send out with your college applications unless you have a second offense.”

That earned an audible sigh of relief from those involved.

“Now for you Mr. Smythe” Sebastian sat up straight hoping that if they were going to punish him they would do it individually and not in front of his friends. The other boys sat up straight also, once again ready to take the blame they felt they had deserved in the first place.

“While we question the decisions you made, many people came to speak to us on your behalf. We are officially reinstating you as captain of the Warblers.” A cheer went up from the boys as they all jumped out of their seats to congratulate Sebastian. The cheer was so loud that they almost missed it when Mr. Montgomery once again said “However”.

But they didn’t miss it so they quieted down and faced their acting Head Master “However” he repeated “So that there is a system of checks and balances within the group we are appointing you a co-captain.”

“Who?” Sebastian asked.

“Me”

The Warblers turned around to see who had said that. They were in a state of shock except for one boy who managed to smile as he watched his co-captain straighten his red and blue striped tie.

“Surprise!”

Blaine Warbler had returned home to Dalton.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so this is the last chapter that I could plagiarize from my other story. Further chapters, if you guys want them, will not come as quickly because I would actually have to WRITE them and not just adjust and add.
> 
> I actually liked Hunter, but he didn’t fit so I stuck somewhat close to canon. When he was coming out of court after Blam turned them in, one of the reporters said something about him looking too old to be in high school. That’s where the age thing came in. 
> 
> Don’t get me started about the Warblers on steroids.
> 
> Author’s note: The next few chapters would have Kurt and the Old New Directions in them. (The following is my opinion) I do not write abusive relationships where none existed in canon. It is my opinion that Blaine was depressed for several seasons and was emotionally abused by Kurt. That would be something that is addressed. If this is not something you want to continue with, thank you for reading to this point.


	4. Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A last minute change to the Warblers’ Sectional set list worries Blaine as does the reactions he will receive from the change to his Facebook status.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are two flashbacks which are in italics. Much of the rest of this chapter are a series of conversations. 
> 
> The biggest conversation takes place in the library and let’s just assume that Blaine and Sebastian are speaking in “library appropriate voices”. I didn’t want to say spoke quietly or softly over and over again.
> 
> Just a reminder that this story is AU. While one of my favorite things to do is take canon and "fix it" that will only happen occasionally and definitely not in this chapter.
> 
> This chapter is rated M (ok, it really pushes the line) for “Dirty Talk”. It is also where the “Kurt Unfriendly” warning begins.

Three days before Sectionals, Blaine found himself in a back corner of the Dalton library trying to finish his paper on the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He had known that he would be behind academically from his time at McKinley but hadn’t anticipated that it would be this hard to catch up. Of course, all the time he spent prepping for Sectionals didn’t help. It also didn’t help that there was a huge fucking mess to clean up after what happened with Hunter.

**_ 2 Weeks Earlier _ **

_Sebastian and I decided, well I decided but Bas agreed, that there is no way we are singing Whistle at Sectionals. Dalton has enough PR problems without a bunch of boys getting on stage and singing about blow jobs—Shut up Thad! We thought maybe we could chose songs that had been put together already but never performed in competition. If we did something like that we could just tweak the harmonies and dances and not have to start from scratch. Well, the new guys and I may have to start from scratch, but you know what I mean._

The other thing that didn’t help Blaine was the complete shit storm that followed after the Old New Directions found out about his transfer. However, that had probably been his own fault.

**_ Day after Blaine’s Transfer _ **

_“Everybody at McKinley already knows but I guess I could announce it on Facebook since I need to change my relationship status anyway.”_

_Thad started to laugh “What are you going to change it to? Fucking Sebastian Smythe like a porn star?”_

_“Fuck off Harwood!” Sebastian snarled at his new roommate “Remember, you share a room with me now and you’re a heavy sleeper. Do you like your eyebrows?” He had to defend Blaine’s honor after all, or at least appear to. He actually kind of liked the idea of Blaine making that his new relationship status._

_Sebastian’s threat didn’t stop Thad’s laughter “Hey, my old bed backed up onto the same wall as your bed does and the walls are very…very…thin.”_

There had been an issue when Blaine moved into the dorms. The only open bed at the time was Hunter’s, but Blaine and Sebastian had sworn that it wouldn’t be a problem since they were firmly in the quote/unquote friend zone. Despite their assurances, that first night Blaine paid back the blow job Sebastian had given him after his fight. That resulted in Sebastian paying Blaine back for that blow job and so on (and then several more so ons), which led to a late night and many trips to the coffee cart the next day. That evening Blaine and Thad received permission to switch rooms, so Thad moved in with Sebastian and Blaine moved in with a Warbler named Doug.

In the end, Blaine chose to keep “his announcement” simple.

**Blaine Anderson: Co-captain of the Dalton Academy Warblers with Sebastian Smythe**

**Relationship Status: Single**

Maybe mentioning Sebastian had not been the best idea.

Blaine had been so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t notice when Sebastian sat down across from him at the library table.

“So how many texts today?” Sebastian asked.

“47 so far”

“All from Hummel?”

“No, I had one from Santana promising to _Go all Lima Heights on his ass_ if Kurt tried to talk to me at Sectionals. Everyone else seems to have settled down at least for now.”

“I still find it strange that Santana has been the one from the old group that has been the most supportive.”

“It’s Brittany, Sam’s girlfriend. Even though she and Santana are not a couple anymore they’re still close.”

“Did you tell Santana about what Sammy boy said to Gay Face?”

“Oh yeah, and her response was almost as good as yours.”

**_ 20 Minutes after Blaine’s Facebook status change _ **

_Sam left his room to go to the kitchen and get a snack. When he passed Finn’s room he had to stop and laugh because Finn was on the phone, pacing the floor and saying one thing again and again…_

_“Kurt, calm down!”_

_Sam thought he’d try to help Finn out. He wanted to tell himself it was because he was a good person, but in reality this was just too damn funny to pass by. Plus, he was fairly certain that Blaine would be interested in what Kurt had to say. He knocked on Finn’s door to get his attention and motioned for him to put his phone on speaker. “Kurt, I don’t know why Blaine changed his Facebook status to single.” Sam shot up his eyebrows and mouthed W…T…F while Finn shrugged to acknowledge he was confused as well “Why don’t you ask Sam?”_

_“Why would I ask Sam? He and Blaine don’t even like each other.”_

_“Actually Kurt, Blaine and I have become good friends.”_

_“Is that you Sam?”_

_Sam tried to prevent himself from rolling his eyes because he had a feeling that if he rolled them every time Kurt said something stupid he would get a headache “Yes Kurt, it is. Finn put me on speaker figuring I would have more answers about Blaine considering we have become good friends ever since we ran for student government together.”_

_“You ran for student government with Blaine? Did you win?”_

_Once more Sam glanced over at Finn who just shook his head in disbelief “Yes Kurt, I became Blaine’s vice-president when he was elected president which you would have known if you would have answered any of the calls he made or texts he sent. I mean the poor guy was at our victory party trying to tell everyone that you were off planning his Inaugural Ball when we all knew differently since he looked so disappointed. I can’t tell you the number of people I had to convince that you were busy and not being a jealous petty bitch because he won and you didn’t the year before.” No one had actually said that, but after he finally got Blaine to talk about Kurt not taking his calls, Sam formed his own opinion on the situation._

_Finn hurried to pick up his phone and then took it off speaker “Kurt, Sam had to go.”_

_Sam had wanted to find out information for Blaine, but DAMN that felt good. It felt even better when he called Blaine and was reassured that he had done the right thing._

“I was amazed you didn’t hyperventilate from laughing so hard when I told you.”

“What can I say? It was funny” Sebastian said, smiling at the memory “And I like that your whole bad ass attitude seems to have rubbed off on your friend Sammy. I still think that after Sectionals, you and I should take him dancing.”

“That’s not happening Bas.”

“Why? Straight guys go to gay bars all the time.”

Blaine looked over at his friend(?), friend with benefits(?) and chuckled “You want to take a straight guy with those lips, a guy Santana refers to as Trouty Mouth, to Scandals?” 

They were interrupted when Blaine received yet another text from Kurt. “You want me to text him back for you Killer? It might stop him for at least a while. I could say something on how he couldn’t find the time to talk to you for weeks but now can’t stop trying to contact you.”

“Thanks, but the last thing I need is to set him off even more. Our set list will take care of that.”

“Did you tell Santana, Sam or any of the other New New Directions what we’re performing?”

“No. When I told the club that I was transferring we agreed to not discuss Sectionals and we have done a really good job of keeping things separate. And Santana? Seriously?”

Sebastian smiled what Blaine referred to as his _Old Sebastian_ smile (kind of snarky, almost evil) “It is an interesting set list.”

“Yeah, but thankfully the Show Choir Officials dropped the International element” Blaine hoped the New Directions had gotten rid of their International element as well “I’m still worried about what Santana will think of the second song, but I’m actually more worried about what the former Warblers will say.”

“It’ll be fine. You called both Wes and David and got their blessings. Wasn’t David’s response _Oh, hell yeah! Abso-fucking-lutely! If anyone wants to bitch about it, they’ll fucking have to deal with me_? _”._

When Blaine’s phone went off with another text alert from Kurt, Sebastian had to physically restrain him from throwing it across the room “Killer, what’s really going on here?”

Blaine threw back his head and then let out a huff “It’s just everything. It’s Kurt being an ass and I’m worried about how he’ll treat Sam when he’s here for Thanksgiving. I’m worried about the backlash from our performance and you know there will be one” he then brought his head down and turned his laptop around to show Sebastian “and last week Mr. Jordan assigned a 12 page paper due tomorrow and I only have 8 pages done.”

Sebastian read what Blaine had written “Why didn’t you ask for my help? You know members of my family were the only royals that survived the French Revolution.”

“I know Bas, but I have to prove to myself that I can keep up with the Dalton curriculum” Blaine admitted “I’m just frustrated and I want to go punch the bag but I can’t because I could pull a muscle and we really bumped up the dance steps on _Dark Side_.”

That is when the _Old Sebastian_ smile came back again “You know Killer, I can help you with your…stress.”

Blaine shook his head at the comment, but did flash Sebastian’s favorite BSBL (bashful schoolboy look) “We agreed that wouldn’t happen anymore after Trent caught us.”

“No, you agreed. I have no problems with it.”

“The last time we _relieved stress_ you had a scratchy voice for a couple of days. Since it would be your turn do you really want to take a chance with my voice this close to Sectionals?”

 Sebastian’s smile became even snarkier, if that was possible “You know there are other ways.”

Blaine tilted his head and stared across the table in disbelief “Are you saying that we should have sex?”

“What can I say? You blushed for me and it was super hot.”

Blaine walked around to the other side of the table, sat down next to Sebastian, put his mouth up to his ear and said in his special low and authoritative voice “Do you honestly believe that if we were to have sex that you would be in control?” That question made Sebastian’s breath hitch so loudly that he was sure the librarian across the room had heard him. He was relieved when that wasn’t the case but then he realized that Blaine wasn’t done talking.

“Do you honestly believe that I couldn’t wrestle you onto your back without really trying? That I couldn’t be three fingers deep in that ass of yours within a couple of minutes? That at the same time I would work my mouth down your body, biting a mark at every sensitive point for future reference? Do You?”

Sebastian couldn’t make his mouth form the word “no” so he just shook his head.

“Once I was done, do you know what I would do next?” Again, Sebastian could only answer with a shake of the head.

“You are such a fantastic dancer that I want to know exactly how flexible you are. I would bend you in half bringing your ass up for easy access. You’d be bent so far over that you’d be able to suck your own dick, but we both know that can’t happen. Why can’t that happen Bas?”

“Because I’m not allowed to touch myself” he forced the words out knowing he was in such a state that if Blaine told him to come he would.

“That’s right, and why can’t you touch yourself?”

“Because I can’t come until you say so.”

“Good boy, you’re right again” Blaine then slid his hand down and palmed Sebastian’s erection “I think I will be nice and tell you not to come. I mean it would be embarrassing for you to try and leave with a giant wet stain on your pants, especially with half of your Lacrosse team at the tables by the exit.”

Without another word, Blaine stood up and started packing up his bag.

Sebastian couldn’t believe that Blaine was leaving him like that. Then he reminded himself that Bad Ass Blaine was diabolical, almost sadistic and more effective than any porno ever made “Where are you going?”

“Oh, back to my room to finish my paper. You were right in that now that my stress is gone I should be able to get it done with no problem. There’s just too many distractions out here. I’ll talk to you in the morning.”

As Blaine walked away he sang… _Will you love me, with my Dark Side._

And Sebastian knew he could. These days that Blaine had been back at Dalton had been the best of his life. However, he also knew that in a few days Blaine was going to see his ex for the first time in a couple of months.

No matter what happened Sebastian wasn’t letting Blaine go without a fight.

Between classes and practices the next two days flew by and Blaine found himself back at McKinley for Sectionals. In true Sectionals fashion the first act was all kinds of awful leaving just the New Directions and the Warblers who were up next.

“Are you sure you want to do this Killer?”

“Are you kidding me? Isn’t a little late to change songs now? We’re about to go on.”

“I’m talking about the surprise we have planned for the middle of song two.”

Blaine just smiled and said “In the words of our pal David, _Abso-fucking-lutely!_ ”

Meanwhile out in the audience, Mr. Schue surprised everyone. He had returned to support Finn and the club as well as find out what had been going on with Blaine. He also thanked Brittany and Kitty who had convinced a couple of Cheerios to perform with them. Two rows behind them were the Old New Directions who were trying to calm down a very agitated member.

“Santana didn’t have to have them drag me in here. I just wanted to say hi to Blaine and wish him luck.” Kurt turned around and saw that Puck and Mike were now seated behind him, ready to stop him if he tried to leave. Plus, they had made him sit in the middle of the row with Rachel and Mercedes on his left and Santana and Quinn on his right. He definitely wasn’t going anywhere.

Rachel put her hand on his arm and tried to be the voice of reason “Kurt, those former Warblers told you that if you didn’t leave Blaine and the other Warblers alone they were going to report you for interference” The entire group looked over into the next section and saw Wes and David waving at them “And since you are an alumnus of the New Directions, they could get in trouble too. You don’t want Finn to get in trouble, do you?”

“No” Kurt let out a huff and sat back in his seat “I just want to talk to Blaine.”

“Why?” Mike asked “You hadn’t talked to him for weeks and then sent him a text telling him to stop apologizing and that you were done. And seriously Kurt, were you really shocked that Blaine changed his Facebook status to single?”

“It was something that my boss said. She said that it’s hard to move on until you have accepted an apology. That sometimes it's the not forgiving that holds us back. I just thought Blaine would always be here when I was ready to forgive him.”

“Ok, first off, that is the most selfish thing I have ever heard” Santana hissed, trying not to yell “Second of all you’re a liar. This is about Blainers posting that he and Tall and Sexy Warbler are co-captains.”

“Santana! How could you call Sebastian that?” Rachel asked.

“Um, maybe because I'm not blind. We had our problems in the past but we’ve talked.”

That surprised the rest of the group who let out a collective “You’ve talked?!”

Santana didn’t answer them as the Warblers finally took the stage. After they were introduced, Mercedes leaned over and whispered to Rachel “Did you notice that Blaine isn’t with them?”

Down front Sam was getting excited. While Blaine didn’t tell him their set list, he did tell Sam to be prepared for a surprise message. However, when the first notes were sung, it was actually Artie that was surprised.

_Baw waw waw waw…dun dun dun…da da da da da da_

_Uh-huh huh huh huh_

_Let me tell ya now Uh-huh_

_When I had you to myself I didn't want you around_

A stunned Artie turned to see the expressions of those that had gone to Dalton with him the day they saw this performed. Rachel and Kurt were staring at the stage with their jaws dropped and Santana was laughing hysterically. Puck leaned forward and asked “Isn’t that the song they sang when you guys went to check them out? When we both wanted to sing MJ at Regionals?”

“Yes” Rachel answered “But they weren’t doing all of those flips.”

“Do you think this is Blaine’s way of asking me to get back together with him? You know he loves these big productions.”

Kurt’s statement was enough to end Santana’s laughter “You are fucking delusional Lady Hummel. _I_ _Want You Back_ is a giant middle finger from the Warblers to us. And when I say us I mean us and not this year’s team. Brilliant. The New Directions are in so much fucking trouble!”

When the song ended, the crowd went crazy with a standing ovation. The Warblers left the stage but soon two of them came back carrying chairs that they sat facing each other. Then there was an audible gasp from the audience as two boys carrying cellos came on stage and sat down. The gasp had been loud enough to hide the “Holy Fuck!” yelled out by the one person that knew what was going to happen.

“I thought they were an acapella group?” Finn whispered to Mr. Schue.

“It was a choice” Will answered but then added “This can’t be good.”

The audience was stunned again but this time by the amazing cello play which was soon joined by Sebastian singing _Smooth Criminal_. Just when those in the know started to wonder about Blaine’s continued absence, they heard coming on stage…

_Annie are you ok? Are you ok Annie?_

Blaine and Sebastian played off of each other, trying to keep their expressions as serious as possible. They failed a couple of times but they were having too much fun. In the audience, Santana couldn’t get rid of her smile which said a lot since when she had performed this with Sebastian she wound up with a Slushie to the face.

At one point the singing stopped as the cellos continued to play. Blaine and Sebastian walked to the front of the stage where Thad brought Sebastian a Slushie cup which gave flashbacks to everyone present at Slushie-gate. No one could take their eyes off the stage, not understanding what was happening only to become more confused when Sebastian reached in the cup and pulled out a recorder. Santana and every other member of the previous year’s New Directions knew exactly what it was. It was the recorder that Santana taped to her underboob to get the proof of what Sebastian did to Blaine. The proof that Kurt had given back to Sebastian because he wanted to beat the Warblers “fair and square”. But why would Sebastian be giving it back to Blaine, especially now?

Blaine took the recorder, turned to face the audience and found where Kurt was sitting. Everyone’s eyes went back and forth between Kurt and Blaine because even though they didn't know what was happening, it was obvious that Kurt was panicked and Blaine was pissed.

After he was assured that Kurt knew what he had, Blaine opened the recorder and pulled out the tape, tossing the recorder down to Sam. He then held up the tape for everyone to see before he dropped it to the ground and stomped on it.

During this time, Sebastian was off to the side of the stage. He took note of how the intense cello music heightened then tension between all the parties involved. There was no way this could have worked out any better.

When the vocals came back the next line was Blaine’s. He rarely changed the lyrics in a song but this time instead of singing _I don’t know_ , he kept his eyes focused on Kurt and sang...

_Now I know!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blaine leaving while Student Council President will be addressed.
> 
> If you have never seen Sebastian and the Warblers do I Want You Back (which was cut from the Michael Episode in Season 3—idiots!) go to YouTube. Now!
> 
> The Warblers always did jumps and flips, just never in competition. They didn't need the steroids. Grrrr!
> 
> Kurt’s line about forgiving Blaine is from canon (Thanksgiving Episode).
> 
> If you do not understand where I am going with the whole “Now I know” line you could either 1. Reread chapter 1 or 2. Wait for the next chapter. (Evil writer laugh).
> 
> Hope you enjoyed.


	5. Truths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine tells some people how he truly feels about them but surprisingly none of them are Kurt. The Old New Directions finally discover what Blaine knows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have designated this story as “Kurt Unfriendly” but in this chapter Blaine confronts others and doesn’t mince words. This includes several original characters, but I am not going to say who because it will result in spoilers. I hope you understand. 
> 
> In canon, Sectionals were on Thanksgiving (never would have happened). Here Sectionals are the day before.
> 
> I am ignoring the “Kitty gave Marley an eating disorder” storyline and everything that happened because of it.

_Now I Know!_

The moment the tape was smashed Wes and David turned to look over where Kurt and the other Old New Directions were sitting. Blaine had asked them to gage the reactions of the group. Although none of them were speaking, their facial expressions said enough as they ranged from panicked (Kurt) to pissed (Santana) to confused (everyone else).

“Why does the girl who sang _Valerie_ look so pissed?” David asked.

“That’s Santana Lopez” Wes explained “She’s the one that went to Dalton and taped Sebastian’s confession. If Sam’s right and none of them knew what Hummel was going to do, she got played.”

While the tension in the audience continued to grow, the Warblers finished their set with _Dark Side_ and received a thunderous applause as well as a standing ovation. The boys could not contain their happiness with what they had accomplished and mobbed each other on the stage with pats on the backs and even hugs. The Show Choir Officials had to come over and ask them to clear the stage so they could set up for the New Directions.

Blaine told the Warblers to go take their seats, but pulled Sebastian and the Senior Warblers to the side “Are you sure the whole recorder bit wasn’t too much? I mean, a couple of years ago Finn kissed Rachel on the stage at Nationals and they were penalized so many points that they didn’t make the top 10. What I did was also personal and could be seen as not Show Choir appropriate.”

His answer came from an unexpected source “I think everyone was too shocked that the Warblers were performing with instrumental accompaniment and that the guys playing the cello were off the charts dude” Sam told him as the New Directions had come back stage “I better go back. I’ll see you on stage when you’re shaking my hand, congratulating us for taking first place.”

“Not happening Trouty” Sebastian responded.

“Arrrggg! I don’t know if you and Santana becoming friends is a good thing but I can totally see it since you’re basically the same person” Sam said before heading off. Blaine and the others started to walk away when they were stopped.

“Hello Blaine, Sebastian, guys” Mr. Schue greeted the group while Finn stood silently beside him.

“Mr. Schue, Finn. If you’ll excuse us we are headed to our seats so I can support my friends.”

“Blaine, we need to talk.”

The other Warblers looked at Blaine who wasn’t surprised “No Mr. Schue, there is nothing for us to talk about and if there was this wouldn’t be the appropriate time or place. You should be over supporting the team you have abandoned for the last few months.”

“You’re not one to talk about abandoning the team” Finn shot back.

“No” Blaine’s voice was so calm that it almost scared Sebastian “I went back to the place I should have never left in the first place. I thought that would have made you happy, Finn. After all, you treated me like crap from the time I arrived because you were afraid that I was going to take over you place as top dog. Hell, the way you treated me didn’t even change after you graduated and were appointed temporary director. I won that stupid the New Rachel competition and you still didn’t give me a solo which was the supposed prize for winning.

“The New Rachel?” Sebastian asked even though he didn’t want to interrupt the roll that Blaine was on.

“Yes, the New Rachel. Evidently in the New Directions your name has to be Rachel to be awarded a competition solo.” Sebastian and the other guys chuckled but knew that later they would have a much bigger response to Blaine’s comment.

Finn began to defend himself but Blaine cut him off “And don’t say that it had nothing to do with what happened between me and Kurt because that would either make you a liar or a hypocrite.”

“Blaine, obviously more happened with the New Directions than I was aware of, but you know why I’ve been gone” Mr. Schue stated.

Blaine just shook his head. He had known his former director would find a way to deflect any blame “No Mr. Schuster, I don’t understand why you have been gone for so long especially when you had direct access to a United States Representative. A man that ran specifically on a platform of saving the arts in schools. A man that is the father and step-father of two of your three favorites. Favorites that you would have never dreamed of leaving, well wouldn’t have dreamed of leaving once you realized the chances of you making it on Broadway were nonexistent. Now, once again, please excuse us. We are going to find our seats to support my friends. Goodbye.”

When the boys passed the stunned pair, Sebastian told the others to go ahead “Are you ok? I mean I knew you’re pissed at Hummel but I wasn’t expecting that. That was some real anger there, Killer.”

“That would have come out eventually anyway, but you’re right, now wasn’t the right time. I was just upset that they were paying attention to me and not their own team. We can talk more about it later. Let’s go.” They had almost managed to exit the backstage area when they were stopped yet again.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Tricky Dick Warbler.”

“Hey bitch, watch it!” yelled Sebastian, probably louder than he should have.

“Sebastian, Coach Sylvester most likely compared me to Richard Nixon as he was also a president that resigned while in office. I’m sure that she is in no way an insensitive homophobe that made an offensive comment about my sexuality, especially as she held her beautiful baby daughter in her arms. In fact, you should probably apologize for using the language you did in front of Robin.”

“Her first” Sebastian wasn’t ready to back down. He had heard rumors about that woman.

“Alright, I am sorry kid and there is no need for Mr. Smooth Criminal to apologize” Sue stated in a response that surprised, no shocked, Blaine “Yes Young Burt Reynolds, I was comparing you to the greatest president in United States history so you should be honored. Now, what I wanted to say was that I have been waiting for one of you Glee Clubbers to go off on Butt-Chin and the Army Reject. Due to the eloquence of your verbal beatdown, I will from this point forward refer to you as Blaine Warbler. Consider it a reward. However, my benevolence does not extend to you, Mr. CW’s the Flash.”

“Oh, my god! I do not look like that guy!”

While Blaine and Sebastian tried to make their way to their seats, the Old New Directions questioned what they had seen on stage.

“Kurt, what did Blaine mean by _Now I know_?” Rachel asked.

“How should I know? You know how much Blaine wants attention when he performs” Kurt sought to down play what had happened, but the others wouldn’t buy it.

“You know I love you boy, but I’m calling bullshit on that one” Mercedes told him.

“And you know that none of us believe a fucking thing you’ve said when Mercedes of all people calls bullshit” Puck pointed out.

Kurt stood up to leave “I don’t need to listen to this. I’m going to go wish Finn good luck.”

“Don’t think so Kurt” Mike said as he and Puck each took a shoulder and pushed Kurt back down into his seat “Blaine is still backstage.”

“You can’t keep me here.”

“Oh yes we can, Hummel. Something is going on with Blaine and you know exactly what it is. He was totally pissed when he smashed that tape and you about peed yourself” Santana wanted nothing more than to get to the bottom of what’s going on, but knew she had to wait “However, we are here to support our friends so we’ll wait until this thing is over, but then you are telling us what the fuck…”

Quinn interrupted her and then motioned her head over to the next section “Guys, Blaine and Sebastian are back and they’re talking to the former Warblers.” Everyone tried to be subtle when they peered across the aisle but instead found all four guys waving at them like Wes and David had done earlier.

“Do they really think that we don’t see them looking over here?” Sebastian asked, not able to hide his amusement.

His question brought a particular memory back to the graduated Warblers “Maybe all of them would have been terrible spies” David said while attempting to hold it together.

“Yes, but none of them would have been endearing.”

When Wes said that, the three that had met Kurt day could no longer hold back their laughter.

Sebastian glanced over to see Kurt, Santana and the others were still staring at them “Ok, one day you guys are going to have to tell me that story. Killer, we should get seated. We’ll talk to you guys later.”

After they checked in with the Senior Warblers, Blaine and Sebastian were finally able to take their seats “Feeling any better, Killer?”

“Yeah, now I’m just upset because all of that shit backstage took away my high from the performance” Blaine responded.

“Not to further upset you, but later I need to tell you something Hunter said before the fight. It’s about Hummel’s dad. With everything that happened I forgot to mention it.”

“Kurt’s dad? Burt? Really?”

“I know, but once again not the place” Sebastian then noticed that Blaine had become restless in his seat “What’s going on Blaine?”

“I’m really nervous for Sam, Sugar and the rest of them.”

“Why?”

“Ok, I guess there is no reason I can’t tell you now. In fact, I probably should so you’ll react appropriately.”

“Ok, I promise to be a good boy” Sebastian regretted what he had said the moment it came out of his mouth.

“Good boy, huh?” Blaine responded with a wiggle of his eyebrows but not in that specific low tone, which Sebastian was thankful for.

“Oh, no you don’t. You are not doing that here. I’m still upset about the other day in the library” Sebastian leaned over and whispered “You left me so hard that I had to sit for half an hour and picture Trent in a speedo before I could leave.”

Blaine let out a chuckle “Fine” Blaine whispered back “I’ll give you a hand job when we get back to my house.”

“Fine, since your parents, Cooper and Thad will be around, I’ll settle for that.” Once again, Sebastian regretted what he said because now he could see _that look_ in Blaine’s eyes.

“You’re going to settle for a hand job, huh? Well, then I’ll have to make it special, won’t I? How about when we are having Thanksgiving dinner with everyone I reach under the table, loosen your belt and take your dick in my hand? If you moan you can tell my mom it’s because her mashed potatoes are so good. If you squirm you can tell my dad it’s because you’re so full from my mother’s wonderful cooking that you had to loosen your belt. Your real problems are Cooper and Thad. They’ll be able to tell immediately what’s going on beneath the table. I doubt they’ll be able to hold back the laughter as the look on your face shows that you’re getting closer and closer and…”

Sebastian pulled himself away “You are a cruel, cruel person Blaine Anderson.”

“Oh, you know you love it when I _talk to you._ ”

And Sebastian did. He really, really did “Ok, maybe I do, but we need to talk about it happening in public” Blaine rolled his eyes and snickered so Sebastian decided it was a good time to change the subject “Anyway, to get back to what we were talking about before. What’s going on with the New Directions?”

“I don’t know what their set list is anymore, but if they kept a certain song…it’s…it’s…just…”

“That bad, huh?”

“Well, they’ve walked on stage so we’re about to find out.”

While Sebastian and Blaine leaned close to each other again so they could comment during the performance, Santana glanced over at the visibly seething Kurt and told herself “Nothing to do with Sebastian my ass.”

The New Directions started with _Some Nights._ Blaine knew the routine and thought it was a good start, but something didn’t look quite right and he wasn’t the only one that noticed “Were those tumbling passes always part of this?”

“No, they were really good but they didn’t fit. It’s like someone said at the last minute _The Warblers had flips so we should too._ ”

When the song ended, the girls left the stage while the boys moved into a formation. Kitty and Marley returned dressed in their Femme Fatal and Woman Fierce costumes. They received a loud cheer which became even louder when Kitty dropped into the splits in front of Jake and Ryder and started to sing _Holding Out For A Hero_ _._ ”

“Marley and I were supposed to sing a duet here, but this is much better.”

“Is this where I’m supposed to act appropriately because the ones not behaving appropriately are the guys sitting behind us. Holy hell! Did the blonde just pull a whip out of nature boy’s dreads?”

“Wow, look at her spin it. She’s actually making Marley’s hair and cape blow out like she’s Supergirl.”

“Blaine, I think Thad’s about ready to propose to your little Dominatrix friend.”

 _Holding Out For A Hero_ received a standing ovation and the Warblers started to get a little nervous. The intro to the next song seemed to take a little longer than usual but everyone assumed it was so Kitty and Marley could change.

“Hate to say it Killer, but they have been really good.”

“I know. I just hope what I think is about to happen doesn’t. I mean, I want to win but not at the humiliation of my friends.”

“Come on Blaine, it can’t be that bad. Wait, is that…?”

“Yup”

“Whose fucking idea was it to do Gangnam Style?”

“Finn’s. Let it out. Say whatever it is you’re going to say.”

“I’ve only got two words to say.”

“Which are?”

“We won.”

And they did. After celebrating on stage Blaine, Sebastian and Thad made sure that the younger Warblers left with their families. Jeff and Nick took a couple of boys to the airport and Trent and Beat drove those who weren’t leaving until later back to Dalton. Once they were sure everyone was off, the three of them went to find Sam.

They found Sam and the rest of the New New Directions in the choir room. Blaine would have liked to say that he was surprised that neither Finn or Mr. Schue was there but he couldn’t. He whispered to both Sebastian and Thad to not mention it. “You guys were fantastic!” Blaine called out as they entered the room only to immediately find himself with Sugar in his arms.

“Well, not enough to beat you guys, but we’re ok” Sam told him which made Blaine feel a lot better. He had a secret fear that the others would blame the loss on him.

“Uh-hum, Blaine?” Thad coughed causing Sebastian to laugh.

“Oh yes. Everyone, most of you know or know of Sebastian, but this is my friend Thad Harwood. Thad, you know Sam, but this is Sugar, Brittany, Artie, Tina, Unique, Jake, Joe, Marley and last but not least, Kitty.”

“Hello everyone” Thad walked over to one person in particular, lifted her hand and kissed the back of it “Kitty, your performance was enchanting.”

Giggles permeated the room but Kitty didn’t care “You’re cute prep school. Have Blaine give you my number and call me after the holiday. I could use a Sugar Daddy for Christmas.”

Sebastian had what he thought was an impressively witty remark to input, but before he could say it he heard a voice that literally made his skin crawl.

“Blaine, we need to talk!”

Everyone turned toward the door to see not only Kurt but the rest of the Old New Directions. Finn had shown up as well.

“Yes, we do need to talk Kurt” Sebastian and Thad looked at each other when Blaine answered Kurt. He sounded just like when he trash talked with Hunter before the fight “but right now I am congratulating my friends on their performance.”

“Why are you congratulating them? They didn’t win.”

Everyone stood in stunned silence at what Kurt had the audacity to say. However, Blaine reached in his wallet and pulled out some money “Jake, Ryder take this. Why don’t the two of you take Kitty, Marley, Unique, Joe and Sugar to get a late lunch? Text us when you get to wherever and the rest of us will meet you later.”

Since they could feel the tension in the room, Jake and Ryder didn’t ask any questions “Sure, thanks Blaine. Come on guys.” Surprisingly the rest left without being coaxed, except for Sugar. She tightened her hold on Blaine and said loud enough for a certain someone to hear “Do you need me to call daddy for you?”

Blaine knew exactly what she was doing and it made him smile “No Sweetie, I’m good.”

“Well, you know to call him if you ever need anything” and then she stared directly at Kurt to add “absolutely anything.”

“I know. Tell him Happy Thanksgiving for me. I love you Sugary Sweet.”

“I love you too, Blainey.”

While everyone tried to figure what the hell was going on with Blaine and Sugar, Sam walked over to Sebastian and Thad “Is Blaine ready for this?” Sam asked “You guys didn’t see him before. He was like super depressed when Kurt wouldn’t talk to him.”

Sebastian tried to reassure him “Sam, I panicked when I found out that it was Blaine that was going to fight Hunter. I wanted nothing more than to go and pull him from the fight area. However, several really good friends” he stopped only momentarily to give Thad a nudge “reminded me that it was something that Blaine needed to do for himself. All we can do is support him. Now is that going to be an issue for you since you’re the one that is caught up in both worlds.”

“I’m not letting Kurt hurt him again.”

“I knew I liked you Sammy boy.”

Once those not involved in Slushie-gate were gone, Blaine was ready to get this conversation over with. Sam had assured him that none of the others knew what really happened. Blaine was at the point where he needed to know one way or another.

“So Kurt, what do we need to talk about?” he asked.

“You know damn well what we need to talk about Blaine!”

“Oh, do you want to talk about this?” Sebastian pulled the smashed tape from his jacket pocket “Just so you know, that’s a blank. I got rid of the real one months ago.”

“What the hell is going on here?” Finn yelled “And why are you guys bringing up the whole Slushie thing now?”

“That’s because Blaine only found out about the tape a month ago!” Sam yelled back.

“Sam, no, this is not…” Blaine tried to stop him, but it didn’t look like that was going to be the case.

“Yes, it is Blaine. There are four truths here your’s, Kurt’s, the Warblers’ and the New Directions’. Now that you and the Warblers know the whole story, the New Directions are the only ones that need to find their truth. This can’t come from you or Kurt or even Sebastian. This needs to come from me.”

“Is this what Anderson meant by _Now I Know_?” Puck asked.

“Yes, it is Puck” Blaine answered before returning to Sam “I’m only going to let you do this if you promise me one thing. When we are done here, you go pack a bag and stay at my house over the holiday. I don’t want you caught up in any of the fallout from this.”

Sam nodded and turned back to face the others which sent Kurt into full panic mode “This has nothing to do with you Sam. This is between me and Blaine!”

“Well, that might have been the case if you wouldn’t have used the rest of us” then for emphasis Sam added “especially Santana.”

“Trouty, you better spill it right now” the way Santana said that had Mike and Puck moving over to prevent her from killing Kurt if things got as bad as they predicted they would.

“Ok, see, when Blaine first came to me about this he asked me if I knew and I told him I didn’t. Then he asked me was if any of you knew. I struggled with his question, but in the end, I had to believe that none of you knew either.”

“Sammy, I’m really confused” Brittany told him.

“Ok, here it goes. Remember when Sebastian threatened to put naked pictures of Finn on the internet?”

Everyone turned to look at Sebastian who raised his hands and shrugged “Sorry?”

“Anyway, when we told Mr. Schue about it Blaine said something about how Sebastian didn’t get in trouble for nearly blinding him. Mr. Schue said that the Head Master said nothing could be done because there was no proof.”

“But there was proof. Blaine just had Kurt give it back to Sebastian” Rachel reminded everyone but most of the others had already realized what Sam had been trying to tell them.

“You fucking asshole!” Santana lunged toward Kurt but Mike and Puck caught her “Blaine didn’t know there was proof. If he did, he would have said _But Mr. Schue we had a tape_ or _Why did I tell Kurt to give Slushie Warbler the fucking tape?_ He didn’t know there was a tape so he never told Hummel to give it back!”

_“But, now I know” Blaine repeated “Now I know.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of Richard Nixon’s nicknames was Tricky Dick. Seriously.
> 
> I know that Grant did not become the Flash until Season 5 of Glee but I couldn’t resist. I also couldn’t resist the Marley/Supergirl acknowledgment.
> 
> Ryan Murphy has said that Gangnam Style was the song performed on Glee that he regrets the most. That says a lot.
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoyed.  
>  


	6. Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine and Sebastian reflect on what happened that day and how the fallout affected a lot of people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is told through a series of flashbacks which will be in italics.
> 
> During some of the flashbacks there will be a “chorus” making commentary. The commentary will not be essential to any conversations. The comments will be in bold italics. 
> 
> Once again, this chapter is rated M (but not as bad as in the past) for “Dirty Talk” although this time it is not necessarily Seblaine. Also, what happened to Blaine and his date after the Sadie Hawkins dance is discussed. There is also a slap and threats of “Going all Lima Heights”.

Blaine sat on the couch in his family room and tried not to drift off to sleep. It had already been a long day and it was far from over.

“Hey Killer” Sebastian said as he walked into the room “Do you need to take a nap before Sam and Puck get here?”

“No, but I will probably make some coffee. Sam and Puck just left so they’ll be a while. By the way, Puck’s going to stay here tonight since it’ll be late by the time we finish our conversation” Blaine stretched and yawned as Sebastian sat next to him “Did you and Thad find everything you needed? It sucked that you guys had practice after Sectionals.”

“Yeah, your mom showed us where everything was and yes, practice was brutal. I don’t think I’ve ever been that soaked. I just hope the rain stops by Saturday. The field was a nothing but a giant puddle.”

“Do you think that I could watch the game from the baseball dugout on the next field?”

“Probably not. If you still insist on coming you might want to grab a golf umbrella.”

“I’m sorry that your playoff game was scheduled for Saturday and you two couldn’t go away with your families for the holiday.”

“I’m not” Sebastian said in a tone that surprised Blaine a little “Thad actually misses his family and I’ll talk with my parents in the morning, but the thought of flying all the way to Paris to spend time with my sister that’s already three days past her due date? No, thank you. Sierra could be a queen bitch on a good day, let alone nine months pregnant.”

“That makes sense, plus I’m happy you’re here” Blaine smiled and then got up to start a pot of coffee at the bar in the back of the room.

“Speaking of my sister” Sebastian turned in his seat so he could see Blaine “Something Hummel said about her was strange.”

“Kurt said a lot of strange things earlier. You’ll have to be more specific.”

“When I said that I had a sister he said _No you don’t_ and then argued with me like I would lie about something like that.”

“You’re right, that was strange” Blaine stopped what he was doing when he received a text “It’s from Mike. Santana has finally stopped swearing in Spanish and has decided that life in prison for _Hummelside_ was not worth it.”

“At one point I didn’t know who she wanted to take down more, Hummel or his brother.”

“Fortunately for the two of them, Artie was brave enough to put himself in front of her. It would have been one thing for her to have escaped from Puck and Mike to get to them, it would have been another thing entirely if she knocked over a kid in a wheelchair to do it.”

** Flashback **

_“So, Kurt didn’t tell Blaine about the tape. I don’t get what’s the big deal” Finn really appeared to be confused, but that didn’t matter to the others._

_Rachel slunk to the back to stand by Quinn, Tina and Mercedes who had been smart enough to get out of the line of fire. Artie pulled himself in front of Santana and tried to remember some of the blocking techniques he learned on the football team._

_However, Santana had become eerily calm. That was actually far scarier._

_“Listen up Mr. Schue Wannabe, I’m going to say this nice and slow so you will understand. Kurt and I had this little heart to heart where he was all sad because nothing was going to happen to Smythe and Blaine wouldn’t get justice. That’s when we came up with the idea for me to go to Dalton and get a confession on tape. I got the confession all right, but I also took a Slushie to the face.”_

_Sebastian stepped forward “Ok, that I’m actually sorry for.”_

_“That’s ok Stretch. Just know payback can come at anytime, anywhere.”_

_“Good with me” but he turned to Blaine and admitted “Actually, I’m pretty fucking scared.”_

_“You should be” Blaine told him._

_“Ok, so Kurt knew about you going to Dalton. I still don’t see why this is an issue now.”_

_Everyone just shook their heads at what Finn said but Puck added an “Oh, dude.”_

_Santana stared directly at Kurt and studied his expression, like it would answer a question. Then she laughed, but not in the good way “All of this had nothing to do with the Slushie, did it Hummel? This had everything to do with I Want You Back, but not the one from today. This is about the performance we saw that day at Dalton. This is about how Blaine and Sebastian were practically eye fucking each other during the entire thing while you sat there like a little bitch and let it happen right in front of you.”_

_“Um, hate to interrupt your whole verbal beatdown of Kurt, which by the way, totally awesome” Thad apologized, kind of “But as someone who was there from the beginning of Seblaine, there’s no practically about the eye fucking. It began the moment they saw each other.”_

_“Seblaine? Seriously?” Blaine asked._

_“What can I say? The Warblers have shipped the two of you since Uptown Girl.”_

_“See Kurt, everyone knows I’m right” Santana was back in control of the conversation “You and your whole “I don’t believe in violence” speech may have been sincere but you used it to your advantage. You gave the tape back so you looked like the bigger man. You had stood up to Sebastian the bully. You were Blaine’s hero, but then you figured out that you couldn’t tell him, didn’t you? Blaine would have known the truth. That you had thrown away the proof that he so desperately wanted. Your whole brilliant plan blew up in your face. How fucking lucky were you that everyone assumed Blaine knew about the tape so no one asked him about it?”_

_“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” Kurt yelled at her, which bolstered Santana’s theory in the minds of many of those there._

_“No, Kurt. Looking back on what we saw with your relationship with Blaine, I think she nailed it” Sam told him._

_“Shut up Sam! You have nothing to do with this!”_

_“Tisk, tisk Kurt. You seem to have forgotten that I told you Blaine and I are BFFs now.” Sam put his arm around Blaine’s shoulders to make his point._

**_Is it just me or are Sam, Blaine, Sebastian and Thad really hot (Rachel)_ **

**_So, so hot (Tina)_ **

**_I’ve never seen Sam that confident before. You’re right. So, so hot (Quinn)_ **

**_Oh, hell to the no. Those boys are fucking sexy. What? I live in LA now (Mercedes)_ **

_“What are you laughing about Smythe?!” by now Kurt was pretty much in hysterics. Finn tried to calm him down but to no avail “I don’t believe for a minute that Sam and Blaine are best friends. They hated each other last year.”_

_“Oh no, Sam is Blaine’s BFF but I’m his FFB.”_

_“FFB?” Blaine asked with a tilt of the head and a lifted eyebrow. Actually, Blaine pretty much always had to tilt his head to look up at Sebastian._

_“Yes, friendly fuck buddy.”_

_“Once again, forgive the interruption” Thad said “But I can confirm that one as well. The dorms have very thin walls. Blaine and I even had to switch rooms.”_

**_Sex at a private boys’ boarding school. Oh, this is even better than porn (Mercedes with the others nodding in agreement)._ **

** End of Flashback **

“I couldn’t believe you said that.”

“What, I thought it fit the moment” this time their conversation was interrupted by a text that Sebastian received “Well, I’m an uncle. Isabella Juliette was born about an hour ago.”

“Congratulations! Now are you sorry that you couldn’t go with your parents?”

“Nah, I’ll go see her Spring Break. Maybe you could come with me?”

“Go to Paris in the Spring? Uh, yeah. Could we have a picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower? Or go to the gardens of Versailles? I bet the flowers there are really fragrantwhen they bloom.”

Sebastian was excited that Blaine was excited about the idea of going to Paris with him, but of course he played it off “First of all Killer, picnic at the Eiffel Tower? Totally cliché. And flowers smell the same everywhere. I’m going to call my mom and I should probably check on Thad. I know he wanted to be out here when you talk to Puck.”

“Go ahead. I wanted to make that call about Burt anyway.”

Before Sebastian got out of the room his phone went off. It must have been his mother since he answered in French. Blaine took note about how sexy Sebastian sounded. It could come in handy later.

Sometimes Blaine wished he could start his relationship with Sebastian anew, but then he remembered how easy it was for the two of them to be with one another. Oh hell, who was he trying to kid? He loved the way Sebastian would practically melt when he spoke to him in that particular tone. How the banter flowed effortlessly between the two of them.

It was too bad that Brittany had been caught in the crossfire between their banter and Kurt's beliefs.

** Flashback **

_“Of course the two of you are fucking” Kurt over exaggerated as he threw his arms in the air._

_“Why wouldn’t they be?” Sam asked “They’re both hot. If I swung that way, I’d do them.”_

_“Well Sammy boy, if you ever decide to use those lips for what they were intended, you know where to find me” Sebastian propositioned._

_Blaine shook his head “Oh please. Everyone here knows that if Sam ever chose to go gay for someone, it would be for me.”_

**_I’m so horny right now (Rachel)_ **

**_So, so horny (Tina)_ **

**_I don’t want to leave, but when this is over I may have to go take care of myself (Mercedes)_ **

**_Or we could go to the showers and help each other out. What? Mercedes may have moved to LA, but I joined a sorority (Quinn)_ **

_“Guys, no need to fight about it. There’s enough of me to go around, but of course you’d have to ask Brittany first” Sam couldn’t believe what he had said but the shock on the faces of the other New Directions guys was priceless._

_“That’s ok Sam, I’ll share but only if you guys let me watch” Brittany told them with a wink “or join in the fun. And by the way Sebastian, Sam does know what to do with those lips.”_

**_Damn, I wonder if Brittany would share with the rest of us? (Mercedes)_ **

**_Oh no, you and Quinn had your chances. Time for the rest of us to get a turn. What? NYADA has co-ed showers (Rachel)_ **

_“We should really stop” Blaine informed everyone “Kurt has to be uncomfortable with this conversation. After all, he doesn’t believe in bisexuality.” When Blaine realized what he said he almost became physically ill “Oh Brittany, I’m so, so sorry.”_

** End of Flashback **

“Blaine? Killer?” Sebastian didn’t think Blaine was asleep. He almost appeared to be in a trance, but a small shake brought him back.

“Hey, how are your sister and niece?”

“Good. Sierra had absolutely no contractions or anything like that so my parents had gone to the symphony with friends. They were barely in their seats when they got the text from Antonio that they were on the way to the hospital. Isabella was born two hours later. By the way, my parents told me to tell you and your parents _thank you_ yet again and they thought you coming to Paris with me for Spring Break was an excellent idea. Now, what had you so deep in thought when I came in?”

Blaine sighed and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration “I can’t get the look on Brittany’s face out of my mind. I mean, I almost threw up when I mentioned Kurt’s views on bisexuality. I don’t understand how he could say all of those things to her.”

“I don’t know either Blaine, I just don’t know. We had probably pushed him too far and he was already going to blow up at some point. Brittany was just an easy target. And listen, I’m not even going to pretend that I understand the whole dolphin, unicorn, bicorn hierarchy, but it was pretty damn amazing when Brittany told Hummel he was no longer a unicorn. That he had turned mean and lost all of his magic so now he was just a jackass.”

“You just liked it when she slapped him.”

“Not denying it. Now are we finally going to discuss what really upset you? You’ve managed to avoid what happened since I got back from practice. Thad is sound asleep. Your parents went to the airport to pick up Cooper and Sam and Puck are still about 45 minutes out. Killer, I was sure you were going to beat the shit out of Finn and I need to understand why.”

“I didn’t want to tell them about Sadie Hawkins, Bas. I knew I might have to but fuck! He just wouldn’t let it go!”

** Flashback **

_Sam jumped in to grab Brittany and pulled her over to Santana meanwhile Finn felt it was his duty to defend Kurt “Ok, I understand Brittany being upset about what Kurt said. He’s allowed to have his opinions and he should have kept them to himself, but this is not his fault, it’s Blaine’s. I mean he’s the one that brought all of this up in the first place.”_

_Sebastian and Thad held Blaine back since they knew he would beat the shit out of Finn if he could get to him “Fuck off Hudson” Sebastian yelled at him “You’ve treated Blaine like shit from the beginning, but you’re not laying this one on him just because he accidently let out something Hummel told him that was not only ignorant but bigoted.”_

_Puck moved over to Finn “Do you have a fucking death wish?” Puck asked him “You know Blaine could kick your ass without trying.” He then realized what he said and knew he had to fix it. Finn may have known that Blaine had been in Dalton’s Fight Club but he didn’t know Blaine was Wolverine “You’ve seen him box.”_

_“No, I don’t care. None of this would have happened if Blaine and the Warblers hadn’t brought up all of the Slushie shit. It was fucking months ago!_

_“Tell him Kurt!” Blaine shouted at Kurt but then groaned out loud in frustration. He had not wanted this to ever come out, especially not like this._

_“No” Kurt crossed his arms across his chest and held firm “I told you I would never tell them and I’m not going to now.”_

_“You’re choosing now to be honorable? You’ve got to be shitting me! Tell him Kurt! Finn’s so fucking delusional that he’s not about to believe me!”_

_“Now Hummel!” Santana snarled at him._

_When Kurt held firm and refused to speak, Blaine realized that this would have to come from him “Before I went to Dalton I went to Westerville. I had come out the year before and while I heard comments in passing, I was never outright bullied like Kurt was. The school had a Sadie Hawkins dance and I asked a guy to go with me. No one said anything during the dance but afterward we were jumped by three guys and had the shit beat out of us.”_

_There were gasps from the group, but the biggest reaction was from Rachel. She walked over to Blaine as tears streamed down her cheeks and her voice quivered when she asked him “That was you?”_

_“Yes, it was. Rachel, are you ok?”_

_“When it happened, my dads sat me down and told me about what happened to you. Even though it wasn’t reported that you were gay or that it was a hate crime, they had found out it was. They explained to me how what happened was because some people couldn’t accept that you liked boys. Those same people would not accept that my dads loved each other and the same thing could happen to them. They also taught me how I had to be careful because those people could take out their hate on me because I was their daughter.”_

_“Oh Rachel, I’m so sorry.”_

_“No Blaine, I am so sorry this happened to you. What happened to the people that did this to you?”_

_“Nothing. There were no witnesses or if there was they didn’t come forward. The guy I went with had no memory of what happened. I remembered bits and pieces but not enough to be able to identify anyone.”_

_“This was why you wanted the proof about what Sebastian had done, wasn’t it? You didn’t have the proof to get justice for what happened after that dance. Am I right?”_

_“Yes”_

_“And Kurt never told you he had proof about what happened with the Slushie?  Kurt knew how important that proof was to you and he gave it back to Sebastian anyway?”_

_“Yes” Blaine didn’t have the heart to tell Rachel what Kurt said when he first told him._

_“Thank you for sharing your story with us, Blaine. I know that it was very hard for you.” Rachel calmly turned to face Kurt, but Thad was able to stop her when she lost it._

**End of Flashback**

“What Rachel told us was heartbreaking, but it stopped you from going after Hudson. Do you know how she’s doing now?”

“She’s over at the Hudmel house. Mercedes and Finn prevented her from what Santana would call _Going all Lima Heights on his ass_. Her fathers are actually there too. They explained to Burt and Carol everything that happened to me and why Rachel was pissed. The chaos was how Puck was able to get Sam out of there and no one asked questions about why they didn’t want Finn to come.”

“How did you find out all of this?”

“Burt told me when I called to ask if I could come to talk to him Friday.”

To say that Sebastian was surprised by that would have been a _MASSIVE_ understatement “You called Burt?”

“You knew I made a call about what you told me Hunter said.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t expect that. I’m coming with you.”

“No, you’re not” Blaine told him “Number one, you have Lacrosse practice. Number two, this was about you. If Burt was involved, he’s more likely to talk to me without you there. Plus, I have to go to Lima on Friday anyway.”

“Why?”

“Sugar” Blaine sighed. This was possibly what upset him the most “Everyone from the New Directions knows what happened except for Sugar and the New New Directions. When she’s told about this it has to come from me. Hell, when her dad hears about this it has to come from me. Sam, Mike, Puck, Artie and Tina volunteered to tell the rest of the them.”

“Ok, I’ll let you have that one, but Blaine once again you have avoided my original question. Why did you want to go after Finn and not Hummel?”

“Because Finn was the reason I was stuck at McKinley.”

For the second time in less than five minutes Sebastian was surprised by something Blaine said. No, this time he was outright flabbergasted “Killer, you’re going to have to explain that slowly because I don’t know how to wrap my head around what you said.”

“It was my decision to transfer to McKinley, I’ll admit it. I was in love with Kurt, at least I thought I was, and I would be better able to protect him there. However, everything went to hell pretty quickly. Did you ever hear that I actually had to try to try out for the New Directions? Then I got Tony in West Side Story and Kurt went into total bitch mode. Then I went to Dalton and met a certain some one that evidently I have eye fucked since the moment I first saw him.”

“Will not apologize for that because as you found out the eye fucking was reciprocated” Sebastian responded with a wink. Oh shit!

“Yes, it was, wasn’t it? That was the start of the teasing, if I remember correctly” Blaine’s voice dropped and his eyes got that look that Sebastian couldn’t resist. However, this time he was able to control the urge to drop to his knees and call Blaine _Sir._

Holy hell, how had this become his life? The question was rhetorical because Sebastian knew exactly how and his name was Blaine Anderson.

“No, no, no!” Sebastian walked away to prevent an unfortunately timed boner “You have not yet told me how Finn kept you at McKinley.”

“When you saw me and Kurt at the Lima Bean after your Sectionals, you overheard us talk about how the New Directions were a mess, right? Mercedes, Santana and Britt had left for the Trouble Tones. Finn ignored all of my suggestions and Mr. Schue let him do it. I was so frustrated that I got into an argument with Sam and had to leave the choir room. I went to the locker room and worked out on the heavy bag. I made the decision right then to go back to Dalton. Then I fucked up.”

“I don’t understand. What happened?”

“I told Finn about Fight Club. I didn’t mean to. I was pissed but not only at him. I was mad at myself. I had broken the number one rule of Fight Club. I immediately knew I had to stay to make sure he wouldn’t tell anyone.”

“Oh Killer, the guys would have understood. You didn’t tell him any of the information, you only told him that it existed.”

“Didn’t matter. I had to protect it. Plus, after Sectionals things slowly got better especially between me and Kurt, or at least they appeared to. We seemed to be the perfect couple to everyone, well maybe not you and the Warblers, but I sank into a depression I couldn’t control. Then Slushie-gate happened and I was so mad and hurt. Bas, I hope you know that I would have never used that tape against you, I just needed it for my own wellbeing.”

“I know. I really do.”

“Plus, I think if I tried to turn it over, the guys would have come forward and told me how you were protecting them.”

“But why did you stay after Finn graduated?”

“I thought about going back, but Kurt and I happened to be at a good spot in our relationship. I thought I was happy. Everything didn’t go to hell until three weeks later.”

“Kurt abandoned you and you cheated on him.”

_“Oh, I never cheated on Kurt.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was part one of a two-chapter arch, thus the “cliff hanger” (evil writer laugh).
> 
> I believe that the talk Rachel's dads had with her was something they would do, especially since the victim (Blaine) was her age. It was a point I thought about carefully. It was never intended to just be a way to advance the story.
> 
> I know that Finn was a beloved character, but I always believed that his “relationship” with Blaine never truly moved on from when he admitted his jealousy of Blaine’s talent. The animosity will continue, but not nearly as in your face as it was in this chapter. Kurt on the other hand…
> 
> As always, thank you for reading.


	7. New Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine, Sebastian and Thad are rocked by information Puck gives them. Sebastian asks Blaine a question that has bothered him for a while. Later, Blaine asks a question of his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You are not going to get all of the answers you most likely seek about a certain something in this chapter, but you will get some explanations. 
> 
> I know there is a lot in this chapter, but please hang with me

_“Oh, I never cheated on Kurt.”_

“Bas?...Bas?...Sebastian?” Blaine realized before they started that Sebastian may have been thrown off by what they discussed. However, complete silence was totally unexpected.

“Um…um, ok…yeah” Sebastian had finally regained the ability to speak “What did Hummel say when you told him?”

“Well…” Blaine drew out the word and scrunched his face because he knew how Sebastian would react when he admitted “I never told him. There wasn’t any point.”

This time Blaine was right about what Sebastian would do. He sprung out of his seat, paced the room and started to yell. Not at what was just said, but in frustration over everything Blaine went through.

“What the hell! No point! How about that bastard told anyone that would listen that you were a cheater and probably worse! Bet he never told them that he had already checked out of the relationship but didn’t have the balls to talk to you about it!”

After that, the last thing Sebastian expected to see was a smile on Blaine’s face. His stupid, dirty sexy smile.

Damn it!

“Bas, please come back here and sit next to me” Blaine patted the sofa cushion next to him and Sebastian did what he was asked. Not because he wanted to be a good boy or anything like that.

Damn it!

“Look at me” Blaine put a finger under Sebastian’s chin and moved it until they were looking directly into each other’s eyes “I’m fine. I’m great even. I don’t see any reason to talk to Kurt about it because he wouldn’t believe me anyway. Plus, I don’t give a fuck what he thinks anymore.”

“But what about everyone else? Don’t you care what they think?”

“Not really” Blaine answered honestly “I’ve pretty much told everyone important to me now that I’ve told you.”

Sebastian was exceedingly happy with Blaine’s answer. From what Blaine had told him, only a couple of months earlier he had been a shell of his true self as he tried to be all things to all people. It was almost impossible to think of him like that because now he was confident, cocky to the point of arrogance and sexy. Very, very sexy. Like sexy to the to the point that it was difficult to not reach over, pull Blaine’s pants down and blow him right there on his parents’ couch.

Damn it! Focus Smythe! Ok, what were we talking about? Oh yeah…

“Besides me, your parents and Cooper who else have you told?”

“Fuck! I forgot about Cooper. Guess I’ll have to take care of that this weekend. Actually, I told Sam and I will tell Sugar after I talk to Burt about what Hunter said. That will be a hard one.”

“Talking to Burt or telling Sugar about this as well as Sadie Hawkins?” Sebastian made a mental note to ask Blaine again about his relationship with the mob princess. There seemed to be much more there than Blaine had previously told him.

“Telling Sugar but my conversation with Burt will be difficult too. I still find it hard to believe that Burt Hummel had anything to do with what happened with Hunter. Oh, and in case you were wondering, I plan to tell the guys when we get back to Dalton on Monday.”

“I figured as much” Sebastian could tell that something still bothered Blaine “What’s wrong Killer?”

“Bas, how did you and the guys know about what happened between me and Kurt? I mean it all took place the week before you guys tried to get me to come back to Dalton. Both the Old and New New Directions knew but I don’t think they would have told any of you. There was the other guy, duh, but he had nothing to gain by saying we slept together when I stopped things before they went too far. Plus, I don’t believe he knew anyone at Dalton or he would have said something when I told him I had gone there.”

Sebastian had to think for a moment before he remembered “Jeff told me. No, he found me and said _It was you, wasn’t it? You’re the one that Blaine slept with._ Killer, what’s wrong?”

“When I told Kurt that I was with someone, not that I cheated, the first thing out of his mouth was _It was Sebastian, wasn’t it?_ So, basically word for word what Jeff said. I know the wording isn’t uncommon, but it was your tone of voice. The tone you used was eerily similar to Kurt’s. Was it the same one that Jeff used?”

“Yes, but Blaine, you can’t believe Jeff knew something about this. Maybe we should ask Thad if he knows anything.”

“Ask Thad what?” Thad had come into the room but neither Blaine or Sebastian had noticed.

“Thad, who told Jeff that Blaine cheated on Kurt? And do you know why they said it was me?”

“Sebastian, we all kind of assumed if Blaine were to cheat on Kurt it would be with you. You know, the whole eye fucking thing. And Hunter told us.”

“How the hell would Hunter have known?” Blaine’s question had to wait because they heard a garage door open which signaled that Blaine’s parents had returned with Cooper.

Sam and Puck arrived a few minutes later and the next hour was spent with talk of Sectionals, Sebastian and Thad’s upcoming Lacrosse game and Cooper’s latest Free Credit commercial. When Cooper became long winded, Blaine went to his mom and told her that they were all tired but wanted some time to hang out. Mrs. Anderson took the hint and told Cooper that was enough and to leave the boys alone.

After everyone said goodnight, Blaine led his guests to the family room and they settled in. They really were tired but knew this was the time to discuss the guys that Sam, Puck and Finn had met the night of the fights. The Dalton boys wanted to hear Puck’s version of what happened to see if it differed from Sam’s. It just so happened that he did remember something that Sam had not. Something that turned out to be extremely important.

“They said that spectators had to sign a blood oath?” Thad asked “They said blood oath and not registration form?”

“That’s right, they did call it a blood oath” Sam confirmed now that Puck had jogged his memory.

“But then I said it was called a registration form” Puck admitted. He hoped that since he had been helpful none of the mysterious consequences for talking about Fight Club would be enforced.

Blaine looked around to the others who each gave him a nod of approval. That included Sam. He had been brought into the Inner Circle on a limited basis. Blaine didn’t want him to get in too deep for his own protection.

Even though he was still apprehensive, Blaine knew what he had to do. There was no real choice “Puck, if you want to stay you can but we’re about to discuss issues that will include Fight Club. You won’t be able to talk about what we say with anyone outside of this room, including Finn. You would have to keep secrets from your best friend and not just that I am Wolverine. So, the choice is yours.”

He decided to stay. Blaine told him of his argument with Finn, how he let it slip about Fight Club and the reasons behind his subsequent decision to remain at McKinley. Puck had heard Finn’s side of the events, but was surprised how much they differed from Blaine’s. He hated to admit that Blaine’s side was most likely closer to the truth.

To further prove his point, Blaine included how he and Kurt, while they had good patches, were never the ideal couple they tried to portray themselves to be. Puck said that he wasn’t surprised and that he had never liked Kurt, but had tolerated him for Finn.

“Yeah, not liking Kurt was an understatement” Sam suppressed his desire to chuckle at Puck’s last statement as the situation itself wasn’t funny “You used to throw him in dumpsters.” 

“Well, as Sebastian said to Lopez about her Slushie, I am actually sorry for that one…or eight.”

Puck went on to say that he would not apologize for anything Finn had said or done. However, he believed Kurt had somehow convinced Finn to do all the dirty work to “sabotage” Blaine. He had been stunned by the hell he received over his shit fits when Blaine got Tony in _West Side Story_.

Blaine didn’t know if he agreed with Puck’s theory but did explain what he called the _Alpha Gay_ excuse. While Kurt had not used the term until he tried to justify texting Chandler…

That threw Sebastian over the edge “Wait! That SOB was texting, but probably sexting, some guy and somehow made it your fault?! And I’m sure he conveniently forgot that fact when he gave you hell…”

Blaine was able to stop Sebastian before he said anything else. He then went back to before Sebastian interrupted and continued to explain how he now used the term _Alpha Gay_ to refer to all of Kurt’s jealous moments.

While everyone had different opinions about everything that had come out, they were all adamant about one thing…Kurt could never find out about Fight Club.

Thad picked up a file that was on the side table next to him and handed it to Puck. It was clear that he didn’t understand so Blaine informed him “We would like for you to sign a new contract. This is an oath of silence for only those involved in the Inner Circle of Fight Club. We call it the Blood Oath.”

“Hold up!” Sam immediately understood what that meant, but he wanted verification “Toby and Wyatt talked about a blood oath. Do you think they know about both forms and accidently screwed up the names?”

“That’s the problem” Sebastian told him “it proves that the leak is most likely someone involved pretty high up in Fight Club and not just a spectator. We have a much bigger problem than we originally thought.”

After Puck signed his oath, the guys spent the next half an hour on what the next move should be. Unfortunately, the day caught up with them and they decided to call it a night. Blaine help make the pull-out bed for Puck and said good night to Sebastian and Thad before he and Sam headed off toward his bedroom. The two had looked forward to nerding out together with some Star Wars Fan Fiction. Blaine excused himself to go to his bathroom and change, but when he returned something was different.

“You’re not Sam” Blaine couldn’t help but smile, no smirk, at the sight before him.

“Sam and I switched” Sebastian told him as he sat up on Blaine’s bed with his back to the headboard. He was a little nervous about what he had done but it was too late to go back now.

Blaine sat down next to him “I get that Bas, but why?”

“Um…Thad wanted to ask Sam questions about Kitty.”

He didn’t say anything, but Blaine gave Sebastian one hell of a _stop fucking lying to me_ stare. It took Sebastian approximately three seconds to fold.

“Alright, I asked Sam to switch with me.”

“Because?”

“There were a couple of things I didn’t get to talk to you about earlier.”

“Bas? Is that the real reason?”

“Yes”

“Bas?”

“Ok, fine. I didn’t like the idea of you and Sam sleeping in the same bed together.”

“Come on, get up” Blaine nudged Sebastian off of the bed to pull back the covers “Get in.”

“What? I mean…”

Blaine shook his head when he realized that Sebastian had no idea what he wanted him to do “We’re going to cuddle, you idiot. You do know how to cuddle, don’t you?” When he still appeared unsure, Blaine pulled him down and maneuvered their bodies until they were lying on their sides with Blaine’s back pressed into Sebastian.

“No matter what Bas, you are at least six inches taller than me. You have to be the big spoon.”

Sebastian did not know what he had expected when he asked Sam to switch with him but it definitely wasn’t this. Lying there and holding Blaine in his arms was like he had come home to a place he didn’t know he had missed.

If only he could not think about the fact that his dick was pressed up against Blaine’s ass.

The two of them laid there for the first few minutes and listened to each other breathe. Finally, Blaine asked “What’s going on Bas? Why did you have a problem with Sam sharing a bed with me? I know what I said about if Sam went gay it would be for me, but that was to fuck with Kurt. You know that, right?”

Sebastian let out a big sigh. He wasn’t a person that liked to talk about his feelings, but Blaine sure was “It’s just…I mean…Damn it! Why is this so fucking hard to say?”

“Bas, it’s ok. If you’re not ready…”

“No! I want to. This is harder than I thought it would be.”

Blaine grabbed Sebastian’s arms and pulled them tighter around him “Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.”

“You don’t know that.”

Huh? “I’m fairly sure the death grip you have on my waist guarantees that I’ll stay here with you.”

“You didn’t last time.”

Last time? “Bas, what is the real problem? I don’t understand what you mean by last time.”

“When you cheated/not cheated with that other guy. I know we weren’t in a good place at the time, but there had always been something between us, right?” Sebastian paused to steel his nerves and then asked the question he had wanted an answer to for months “Blaine, did you even think about coming to me?”

Blaine was happy Sebastian was unable to see the relief on his face. This he could handle “I almost called you a hundred times but each time I convinced myself not to.”

“I don’t understand.”

“When all of this went down I was really messed up. Like really, really messed up. I went to him for attention and to feel wanted, no, desired. I knew that circumstances could lead to a hook-up, yet at the same time I was holding on to the belief that Kurt and I could work things out.”

“Killer, you stopped before it went too far.”

“Yes, I did. However, I knew if we had sex it would only be the one time. Bas, you never could have been a one time thing. If I went to you it would have meant the end of my relationship with Kurt, but for some reason I wasn’t ready to let go.”

Oh, Sebastian had not thought of that. “And now?” he asked.

“And now we are in my bed cuddling. Go to sleep. We’ll need our energy to deal with Cooper tomorrow.”

Blaine’s breaths eventually slowed until they found the steady rhythm that signified sleep. Sebastian wasn’t ready to join him. His mind refused to shut down as he tried to process what Blaine told him.

“Blaine?” He whispered to assure the boy pressed up against him was truly asleep. He wanted to say something, but wasn’t quite ready for Blaine to hear it.

“I’m in. Whenever you’re ready, I’m in. I have known from the moment I saw you that I had feelings for you. Hell, it didn’t take me long to believe that I was in love with you. There’s no belief to it anymore. I am totally and completely in love with you. I love all sides of you. The bashful schoolboy. The driven student and Warbler co-captain. The loving son. The caring brother, yes even when he bugs the hell out of you. The fiercely loyal and protective friend. Wolverine. The sex god and now the cuddler. I am so in love with you Killer. I know you still have to deal with all of this crap with Hummel, so take your time. You are worth the wait.”

Once he had said what he needed to, Sebastian was able to nod off. Meanwhile, Blaine was genuinely pleased with himself. He had never told anyone that a trick he learned as a kid to deal with _Cooper being Cooper_ was to fake being asleep. And he was exceptionally good at it.

The next morning Sam woke up early and quietly got dressed as to not wake up Thad. Blaine had asked him to come down a little early so he could share something with him. He assumed that hadn’t changed because he and Sebastian had switched rooms.

He didn’t know the Anderson’s house well, but the kitchen was easy to find due to the smell of baking cinnamon rolls and the sound of Blaine singing. When Sam entered the room, he found Mrs. Anderson leaning against a counter, drinking a cup of coffee. Blaine was on a bar stool and was playing a song for her.

“Good morning Sam” Mrs. Anderson greeted him “Would you like something to drink? Coffee?”

“No thank you, ma’am. What’s going on?”

Blaine side-eyed a look at his mom. They were both amazed that Sam had not noticed what was different about Blaine.

“Part of our tradition is for me to sing to the cinnamon rolls. When I was 10 and learning to play, mom told me that playing for the rolls would help them rise higher” Blaine hoped the word play/playing would trigger an epiphany, but it didn’t.

“Was that song _I Dreamed a Dream_?”

“Sam, I don’t want to speak out of turn, but Blaine didn’t tell me that you were a Broadway fan. He said you listened to music along the lines of country and classic rock” Mrs. Anderson tried not to laugh at the poor boy. In that moment, he was even more oblivious to his surroundings than her youngest son could be.

“Yes ma’am, country music mostly. Rachel used that song as one of her vocal warm-ups so I’ve heard it a few hundred times, but never like Blaine just played it.”

“I came up with this arrangement for when I play the song on my acoustic” This time, Blaine thought the word acoustic might help, but no “It’s my mom’s favorite song.”

“That’s nice.”

The room went quiet but Blaine and his mom spoke to each other only with their eyes. They still couldn’t believe that Sam did not see what was right in front of him. So, they decided to wait it out.

And wait.

And wait.

And wait.

And finally…

“Dude, you play the guitar? What the hell? How did I not know this?”

Blaine put down the instrument and walked over to Sam in an attempt to calm him down. He was mortified that he cursed in front of Mrs. Anderson and could not apologize enough.

“Sam, Sammy, it’s ok. You would have to say a lot more than hell to faze my mom.”

“Ok” Sam took a cleansing breath after he apologized one last time “So, you play the guitar?”

“Actually, he plays eight instruments.”

“Mom!” Blaine had planned to ease Sam into this “But yeah, I play eight instruments.”

“Why? Why did you never share…” Sam figured it out much faster than the fact that Blaine played guitar “Seriously dude, _Alpha Gay_? Oh, I’m sorry ma’am.”

“No worries Sweetie. I know all about _Alpha Gay_ ” Mrs. Anderson’s tone made it abundantly clear that she was not a fan of Kurt.

“Good morning. What’s going on?” Sebastian asked as he entered the with Puck and Thad right behind him.

“Oh, nothing much except that I just found out that Blaine plays eight different instruments including the acoustic guitar over there” Sam told them.

“Blaine?” Thad was as confused as the others. Maybe even more so since he had known Blaine the longest “I mean, I can understand the Warblers not knowing since we don’t use instruments, but why not…Oh, _Alpha Gay_.”

“It wasn’t just Kurt. Puck, Sam could you imagine what would have happened if I picked up a pair of drumsticks and started to play?” Puck cringed a little as that one wasn’t on Kurt.

Blaine’s mom intervened “Blaine, while I frost these, why don’t you play the song you wrote last weekend?”

Blaine shot a look at his mother. She knew the meaning of the song, yet she brought it up anyway. In that moment, he really hated her. Ok, not really but he was extremely, extremely mad at her. They were going to talk about this at family therapy on Saturday.

“Mom!” he both yelled and whined at the same time.

“You write Killer?” Sebastian asked but wasn’t surprised. It seemed like a very “Blaine” thing to do.

“Yes, but…”

Mrs. Anderson walked over and gave her son a kiss on the cheek “Play the song Sweetheart.”

“I really hate you right now.”

“I can live with that.”

He gave up and walked back to pick up his guitar. Once he sat down on the bar stool, he tried not to look at Sebastian but his eyes went right to him.

_You and me were always with each other_  
_Before we knew the other was ever there_  
_You and me, we belong together  
_ _Just like a breath needs the air_

Instinctively Sebastian stepped toward Blaine, never breaking eye contact. He hoped beyond hope that those beautiful words belonged to him.

_I told you if you called I would come running_  
_Across the highs, the lows and the in-betweens_  
_You and me we’ve got two hearts that think as one  
_ _And our heart march to the same beat_

Mrs. Anderson grabbed the cinnamon rolls and had the other boys pick up the remainder of breakfast. She then herded them out of the room (against their will) to give Blaine and Sebastian some privacy.

_They say everything it happens for a reason_  
_You can be flawed enough but perfect for a person_  
_Someone who will be there when you fall apart_  
_Guiding your direction when you’re running through the dark  
_ _Oh, that’s you and me_

Before Sebastian knew it, Blaine had finished and asked him “What do you think?”

“It was beautiful Killer. I can’t believe you wrote that last weekend.”

Blaine closed his eyes and internally cursed his mother once again. She had known exactly what she was doing "I wrote it for you Bas.”

Instantly happiness spread across Sebastian’s face “I had hoped it might.”

“Sebastian?”

“Yes, Blaine” he answered but wondered why Blaine had used his full name and not Bas.

“I’m in too.”

It took a minute, but Sebastian’s eyes practically popped out of their sockets when he realized what Blaine meant “You weren’t asleep.”

“Nope” Blaine admitted as he stood up from the stool and walked to the boy across the room.

“Sebastian Smythe” he reached for Sebastian’s hands and told himself _No Guts, No Glory_ “Would you like to change your designation from my FFB to my BF?”

“I don’t get it. I thought Sam was your best friend?”

That brought out a chuckle from Blaine “BF stands for boyfriend.”

“Oh, I've never been anyone’s boyfriend before. Are you sure?”

“Well, I have been someone’s boyfriend and it was a fucking disaster. You’re the one that needs to be sure.”

They stood in silence until Sebastian’s signature smirk appeared “If I become your boyfriend can I still be your fuck buddy?”

Blaine matched his smirk “I take it that means yes.”

“Yeah, I guess” Sebastian said like it was no big deal, but he was too happy to make it believable.

Before the conversation went any further, they heard someone clear his throat “Blaine, you need to go and kiss him already” Mr. Anderson told his son “Your mother can only keep Cooper and Puck away from your cinnamon rolls for so long. That includes Sebastian’s.”

The two smiled before they shared their first kiss as boyfriends. A few minutes later they joined everyone in the dining room.

“Cooper, get the fuck away from my cinnamon rolls!”

“Blaine Anderson! Language!”

Sam laughed at the scene that played out before him. He had learned what it would take to _faze_ Mrs. Anderson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The term Alpha Gay is from canon. I’m using it because it is easier than trying to explain how Kurt was jealous over and over again.
> 
> You and Me: Green, Dallas; Moore, Alicia 2014
> 
> As always, thank you for reading.


	8. Thankful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine takes time throughout Thanksgiving Day to spend time with each person at the house. Sebastian takes his role as boyfriend very seriously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When my computer went down I continued to write, but with pen and paper. Who knew those still worked :). My only problem was that it was impossible to keep an accurate word count. So, SURPRISE! Here is part two of the previous chapter.
> 
> For those that are unaware, Black Friday is the day after US Thanksgiving where most retail stores have good sales to start the Christmas shopping season. The majority of the stores open ridiculously early. For example, every year I go to a sock sale that starts at 4 AM. Yes, I said socks. Don’t judge me.

**Puck**

Puck planned to go home after breakfast but stayed to participate in the Annual Anderson Family Touch Football Thanksgiving Bowl. After it finished, he said goodbye to everyone else but asked Blaine to walk him out.

“Dude, that game was epic although the word touch needs to go. No wonder your mom wouldn’t let Sebastian and Thad play. I couldn’t believe it when she took Cooper down like that. And she’s smaller than you!”

“I told you we wanted her on our team and I’m 5’8’’. I can’t help it if all of my friends are freakishly tall. And yes, if Bas or Thad got hurt before their game, their coach would have been pissed. Now, what did you want to talk about?”

“Kurt always said that your dad had issues with you being gay and that your parents were never home. That doesn’t jive with the people I met.”

Blaine subtlety shook his head as he thought of a way to explain. He acknowledged that a lot of Kurt’s opinion was his fault “Consider the source, but yes, when I came out my father wasn’t happy. However, it wasn’t because I was gay like I thought. It was that I was 14 years old and gay in Ohio. Then with what happened to me after Sadie Hawkins…well, you can probably guess. I actually didn’t know any of this until he told me in family therapy a few weeks ago. As for my parents never being home, they have demanding jobs that do take them away a lot, but not as much as Kurt thought. They just didn’t like him so I pretty much only brought him around when they weren’t home.”

“Can I ask a question about the therapy?” Blaine motioned for Puck to go on “I heard you say that you are in therapy. Is that different than your family therapy?”

“Yes, I go to individual therapy two days a week as well” Blaine admitted.

“And it helps? I mean, no offense, but I like this you much better than the you from last year.”

“No offense taken, I like me much better now too. So yeah, it has really helped” Blaine was unsure where Puck wanted to go with this so he asked “What’s up Puck?”

“I know he’s not your favorite person but I think Finn is depressed. He broke up with Rachel, then got kicked out of the Army and when Artie asked him to help direct the play he said something about how his future sucked. Now Glee is over and I’m kind of worried. Do you think he should go to therapy?”

“Therapy is a personal choice, but you probably know him better than anyone other than his mom or maybe Rachel. If you’re that concerned, talk to him. Not to sound selfish, but now you really do have a reason to keep an eye on him.”

“Don’t worry, I wouldn’t want you to kick my ass.”

“Why would I kick your ass?” Blaine wanted clarification because Puck had said the same thing earlier.

“You know, the consequences if I break the Blood Oath.”

Blaine started to laugh “Oh Puck, let me introduce you to the world of entitled prep school boys.”

**Cooper**

“So, your therapist is your friend Trent’s mom and you have no problem discussing Kurt with her?”

Blaine was appreciative of Cooper’s attempts to understand what was going on with him, but he had tried for the last hour to explain things and now he was exhausted “Please call her Molly and not Trent’s mom. It helps me differentiate between my therapist and the woman that likes to bake cookies for the Warblers.”

“Got it! And it’s ok for me to go to family therapy on Saturday?”

“Yes, because you are family, stupid. Just stay on topic and don’t make it all about you. I have to get to Sebastian’s Lacrosse game after that.”

“Ah, the new boyfriend. I like him a lot better than the last one.”

“Me too.”

A memory made Cooper smile “At least this one picks out better clothes for you.”

“Ha-ha, very funny. Now, how did your talk with Dad go?”

“You mean the annual Cooper what the hell are you doing with your life talk? My least favorite tradition of Thanksgiving? Not great, but I do understand where he’s coming from. I didn’t piss him off too much if that’s what you wanted to find out” Cooper looked at the clock and saw that he had delayed Blaine long enough “You better go. It’s your turn.”

**Dad (and a little Mom)**

“Dad” Blaine was stunned as he was handed the keys to a new truck “This is too much.”

“It is the least we could do for Sam. Oh, here’s the insurance card and a gas card.” Mr. Anderson started to chuckle as he saw how flabbergasted his son was “Blaine, I am the CFO of the Ford Motor Company. Getting my hands on a truck was no problem. Hell, the other executives get vehicles for their families all of the time. Speaking of that…” he threw Blaine another set of keys “I got you a matching one, different color of course.”

“Dad…”

“Blaine listen to me. Your mom and I will never be able to thank Sam for everything he has done for you, for us. He was the one that forced you to see how depressed you really were. What that supposed relationship you had with Kurt…no, I won’t go there. Most of all, you know you would still be at McKinley because you told him you would stay. He’s the one that told you to get your ass back to Dalton.”

“Still Dad…”

“We want Sam around, and since he won’t move in with us, we want him to come here whenever he wants. Plus, it will make it easier for him to visit his family in Kentucky. By the way, we told his parents about this and they said to call if he had an issue accepting the truck.”

  
Blaine smiled and anticipated that would be the case “That’s not what I was talking about. Dad, I don’t need a new truck. I mean, thank you so much and I can’t believe you thought to get me a truck. It wouldn’t necessarily be seen as something I would drive but just the other day the guys and I talked about how we wished we had a truck.” Blaine wasn’t about to admit that it was to take some new fight equipment to the Out Building.

“But Dad, I already have a car.”

“I know, but it was your mom’s…”

“Dad” Blaine interrupted “I meant the Fastback.”

“Oh” Mr. Anderson was speechless for one of the few times in his life. The Fastback was the 1966 Mustang Fastback that he got to rebuild with Blaine.

The car Blaine thought he got to make him turn straight.

“Maybe we could work on it over Christmas Break?” Blaine suggested.

“Of course” his father tried not to sound too enthusiastic “I’ll get it out of storage and have one of the guys give it a diagnostic so we know where to start. But Blaine, the truck is still yours.”

“I don’t want break this up, but Blaine your friends and boyfriend are all on the phone with their parents. It’s your turn to help in the kitchen” Mrs. Anderson had walked into the room just in time to hear the tail end of the conversation.

Blaine stood up to leave “Thanks dad. Thank you so much. You better be prepared for an overwhelmed Sam” Blaine then realized he had two sets of keys in his hands “How will I know which one is mine?”

“Yours is Dalton blue.”

Once Blaine was out of the room, Mrs. Anderson went to her husband and pulled him into a hug “Did he say what I think he said?”

“Pammy, he wants to finish the car. I can’t believe it. Since he returned to Dalton, it’s like he’s a different person. How did we not see how depressed he was?”

“We weren’t looking for it and he was very good at hiding how he felt. But yes, we’re his parents and I will always live with the guilt that I did not notice. I had hoped the family therapy would help but I never expected this” she reached up and used her thumb to wipe a tear from her husband’s cheek “Christmas came early for you, didn’t it?”

“Absolutely, but this was more than I ever could have wished for.”

**Thad**

Thad finished his call first and went back to the kitchen to find Blaine. When Blaine saw him, he convinced his mom to take a break. He and Thad had tried all day to get five minutes together.

“Did you get ahold of Jeff?” Blaine asked once his mom was gone.

“He couldn’t really talk, but he’ll be home tomorrow afternoon so I’m going to stay at his house tomorrow night. We thought it made more sense for me to tell him everything in person” Thad looked left and right to assure they were alone “Sorry you came back to this, but if you didn’t we probably wouldn’t have found out about the leak. Not to mention everything that went down with Hunter. Hell, we could all be strung out on steroids by now.”

“Hey, no matter what, you guys were too smart to ever let Clarington talk you into taking steroids. And I was the one that said Let’s start a fight club, so whatever happens is pretty much on me. You know if things go bad, I’m going to protect you guys like Bas did after Slushie-gate.”

“Number one, we wouldn’t let that happen. Number two, you were gone for an entire year so there’s literally no way for you to take all of the blame. Plus, Nick and I were the only ones that ever touched the money. I still can’t believe I told Sebastian that I put a thousand dollars on you at the last fight. What if someone heard me?”

Blaine had wondered why as well. After that you don’t talk about fight club, the next strictest rule was that those on staff, and especially the Rules Council, _NEVER_ bet on the fights. That way there was no chance of being accused that the fights were rigged.

“Why did you do it?”

“I wanted to calm Sebastian down and prove to him that I had faith in Wolverine.”

The answer caused Blaine to let out a snort as he tried to contain his laughter “Yeah, if you bet that kind of money it should have been a sign. For someone that comes from a family of billionaires, you’re notoriously tight with your money.”

“I am not…ok, yes I am” Thad admitted. He really couldn’t deny it since it was a running joke amongst his friends.

This time Blaine assured they were still alone “The more Puck said we were like the mob, the more I saw how it could look like that.”

“We are not the mob” Thad told him “We are bookies or run an illegal gambling operation, one or the other. Oh, and don’t forget that we pretty much have everyone that works at Dalton, who is not a teacher or administrator, on our payroll. But at least it’s for a good cause.”

“Yeah, who would have guessed our attempt to get control of betting would make us hardened criminals?” Blaine was joking, but not by much “How much more do we need to get David through law school?”

“We’ve got it all covered.”

That fact surprised Blaine. When they started to take in money, they decided to use the profits to pay David’s way through college and law school. Even though he had been on a full-ride scholarship to Dalton, that didn’t matter to the rest of their group. He was one of them and they would make sure that he had every opportunity the rest of them had.

David’s acceptance to Columbia made their plan a little trickier since it was one of the most expensive universities in the country. However, they were somehow able to pull it off. Wes knew the truth, but David thought he had earned a scholarship that he couldn’t remember he applied for.

“How did we make enough money?” Blaine asked.

“When you weren’t there to fight we actually made more money. People don’t bet on your fights because it’s pointless to bet against you, even though we give outrageous odds. The only reason we had bets on you at the last fight was because Hunter was stupid enough to bet ten grand on himself” Thad thought about everything he had just said and asked “So, we don’t really need to hold any more fights, do we?”

Blaine thought about it too but soon realized that wasn’t an option “The best way for us to draw Toby and Wyatt in is with another fight. And we can’t have a fight without taking bets because outside betting would happen and we have no control over that. That’s the whole reason we started to take bets in the first place.”

“You know Blaine, when the shit hits the fan there will need to be consequences or others will believe they could talk too.”  
“I know” Blaine sighed. While they had always been quick to throw out the threat of consequences, they had only done it once “Earlier I explained to Puck that consequences didn’t mean I would break his legs.”

“Ah, you explained _Connections_ to him.”

“You mean the fact that any one of the Senior Warblers could make one or two phone calls and basically ruin someone’s life? The truest definitions of _It’s not what you know, it’s who you know_ and _Once a Warbler, Always a Warbler_. Yeah, I did. Oh, but I was quick to point out that Kurt was an exception to the Warbler rule.”

They heard Blaine’s mom so Thad quickly added “You know there is someone to talk to about all of this. You’ll see Sugar tomorrow, right?”

**Sam & Sebastian**

After dinner, clean-up and everyone moaning for an hour that they had eaten too much, Sam was surprised with his new truck. Blaine’s prediction that he would be overwhelmed was not even close to Sam’s actual reaction. Mr. Anderson told him about his talk with his parents which helped calm him a little bit, but not much.

Blaine suggested that they go talk in his room so that there wouldn’t be as many people around. Sam agreed, but then Blaine realized that he had not talked to Sebastian about it beforehand. Not that he needed his permission, but Sebastian had issues the night before with Blaine and Sam being alone in his room. On his way back into the house, he asked Sebastian if he was ok. He assured Blaine that he was but expected boyfriend privileges later.

Oops!

As Blaine walked closer to speak into his ear, Sebastian began to panic when he saw him turn immediately into Bad Ass Blaine. Bad Ass Blaine who got a thrill out of public dirty talk. Who often left him in some state of debauchery and didn’t care who else was around.

But he was prepared this time. After a talk with Sam earlier, Sebastian had a new boner prevention image to try.

“That’s right. I forgot all about the hand job that I had promised you” Blaine said in that voice that made all of the blood in Sebastian’s head go south “Is that why you wouldn’t sit next to me at dinner?”

**Blaine and Rachel kissing. Blaine and Rachel kissing. Blaine and Rachel kissing.**

Blaine did know that it wasn’t the time to toy with his boyfriend. He gave Sebastian a wink and then headed off with Sam, but not before he promised that he would take care of things later.

Twenty minutes passed and Blaine and Sam were sitting on Blaine’s bed, but they hadn’t said anything. Sam just stared at the keys in his hand. Finally, he asked “What does a CFO do?”

“He keeps track of all of the money for the company” Blaine had a way to explain everything that Sam appreciated.

“Wow.”

“You’re right, it is wow. Are you ok?”

“Your parents just gave me a fucking brand new truck that my parents told me I had to accept or it would be rude. Oh yeah, I’m pretty fucking ok.” Now all Sam could do was laugh and it didn’t take long for Blaine to join him. It took a while to stop, but once they finished, Sam was out of his stupor.

“I’ll go ahead and drive it back to Lima tomorrow. Burt called me earlier to ask if there was any way I could come back early to help with the Black Friday event at the shop. If I had known about the truck, I would have given a definite yes instead of probably. I’ll text him later, but I’m going to leave the truck for a surprise.”

“Oh, I forgot about the Black Friday event. No wonder he wanted me to meet him at the shop.”

“Why did you want to meet so early?” Sam asked.

“Because I know Kurt and he will still be shopping. I have no desire to deal with him. He’ll head back to New York soon enough.”

As if on cue, Sam received a text from Puck who had had dinner at the Hudmel’s “Holy Shit! Blaine, you have to see this.”

Blaine looked at the text in disbelief “Kurt left his internship and plans to come back to Lima? That makes no sense. He couldn’t get to New York fast enough.”

Puck sent a constant stream of information “Kurt said that he knew the internship was only for two months but had hoped he could get it extended. He also said he had given up on NYADA and planned to apply to the Fashion Institute for the fall semester.”

Blaine got up to grab his phone “This seriously makes no sense. I’m going to text Rachel, but not come out and ask so I can see if she knows anything. After all, Kurt is her roommate and if he leaves, she’ll have to find someone to pay half of the rent. Although, after yesterday it might be a good thing for the two of them to not live together anymore. Ok, so Rachel knows but said that Kurt had not said a word about this to her. She had found out from Puck too. That’s really shitty for Kurt to do.”

Sam put down his phone “Brittany told me something that happened at Sectionals. Santana told her that when the Warblers started to sing I Want You Back, Kurt asked if anyone thought the song was from you, asking him to get back together.”

“Well, he’s fucking delusional if he thinks for one second that will happen. Bas is my boyfriend now” Blaine’s face went blank “Oh fuck, Bas is my boyfriend now. He will freak when I tell him this. And my parents! Oh my god, I have to tell my parents!”

“Calm down Blaine” Sam tried to tell him, although he knew it would do no good “Tell Sebastian, but hold off on your parents until tomorrow. I’m sure we will find out more information when we are at the shop in the morning.”

Blaine sat down in his desk chair and sighed “No, I better tell them now. I know I’ve said this already, but this just makes no sense.”

“Do you think he possibly found out about how when you talked to your therapist you changed your point of view about cheating on him?”

“I don’t see how. The only people I told were my parents, you, Bas and Cooper. I only told Bas yesterday and Cooper today.”

“Why don’t you go tell Sebastian and probably Thad so he can help keep your new main squeeze from freaking out. I’ll stay here because I’m pretty sure the New Directions gossip line will soon be in full effect. Take your phone and I’ll text you if I need you to come back.”

**Sebastian**

“That son of a bitch did what?!?” Sebastian did not take the news of Kurt’s return to Lima well.

“Will you calm down” Thad was on the phone with his grandparents so Blaine was on his own “We don’t have all of the information yet so there is nothing we can do right now.”

Sebastian started to pace and mutter in French. At any other time, Blaine would have found it incredibly sexy “Bas, it’s not a big deal. The person this will affect the most is Sam since they’ll be living in the same house again.”

“I’m not giving you up!” Sebastian blurted out “I know we have only been boyfriends for” he turned and looked at the clock on the wall “ten hours, but you are _mine_. You wrote _me_ the song. Hell, the title of the song is _You and Me_. _Bas and Blaine_.”

“Bas…” Blaine had never seen him like this. It was almost heartbreaking.

It was even more heartbreaking when the yelling stopped and Sebastian said in a tiny, almost fragile voice “You told me you were in.”

Blaine walked over and wrapped his arms around him “I am _your_ boyfriend. I wrote You and Me for _you_. I told _you_ I was in, but _you_ told me that you were in first. Most of all Bas, I don’t want Kurt. I want _you_. Ok?”

That answer seemed to calm Sebastian down but then Blaine added “Again, there’s nothing we can do about it tonight. I’ll find out more when I go see Burt…” he knew he had made a mistake the moment Burt’s name left his lips.

“Oh, no no no no no! You are not meeting with Hummel’s father tomorrow!”

“Bas, you know I need to try and get information about what Hunter said.”

“Then I’m going with you.”

“We’ve been over this” Several times, Blaine reminded himself “There is not enough time for you to go to Lima with me and be back at Dalton in time for your Lacrosse practice.”

Blaine’s phone went off to notify him he had a text “It’s Sam. Nothing to do with Kurt. His parents called and want to talk to me” He put his phone down to reach up and put his hands on Sebastian’s face. He brought him down for a kiss and said “Everything will be alright. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Frustrated at the situation, Sebastian plopped down on the couch only to realize he had sat on Blaine’s phone. That gave him an idea. It took a couple of attempts to guess Blaine’s password but the number he wanted was easy to find once he did.

“Hello, Santana. No, this is Sebastian. I have a really big favor to ask you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. I have issues referring to Blaine as small when Darren is 5’8” and I am 5’2”.
> 
> David was chosen to be the scholarship student strictly due to the fact that I need someone that Blaine and the others were close to but had graduated. Wes was my only other choice and since his father was on the Board of Governors, he didn’t work. 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading.


	9. Friends & Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine has and unexpected ally for his meeting with Burt. Blaine and Sugar discuss their secret. Later, Blaine is met at home by an upset Sebastian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While I like to try and use bits and pieces of canon, this is an AU. With what happens in this chapter, I thought you could use a reminder :)

The next morning Blaine and Sam arrived at Hummel Tire & Lube and found it busier than anticipated. Dozens of cars were lined up to get the holiday special of a half price oil change, but there was one car in particular that piqued Blaine’s interest “Santana, you’re probably the last person I would expect to be here this early.”

He was pretty sure that she wasn’t just there to get her car serviced.

“My mom’s car needed an oil change and I thought I would be nice. You know, the holidays and all. I came early so I wouldn’t be stuck here all day. Now, would one of you care to explain the his and his matching trucks you two pulled up in?”

“What can I say? Blaine’s parents love me” Sam called back over his shoulder before he disappeared into the shop.

As soon as Sam was out of sight, Santana turned back to Blaine “Your parents bought Trouty a new truck? What the hell?”

“Well…technically they didn’t buy Sam’s truck, or mine for that matter.” He then proceeded to give her the condensed version of his father’s job and why his parents did this for Sam.

Her eyes grew wider and wider as the story unfolded “Damn, Frodo! How did we never know that you were that big of a poor little rich boy? Oh, _Alpha Gay_.”

Blaine’s eyes immediately became as wide as Santana’s “How the hell do you know _Alpha Gay_?”

“I had a nice long talk with your fuck buddy, no, your boyfriend” she told him, drawling out the final word “It was very informative.”

Blaine ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He should have known that Sebastian had something to do with this. That he couldn’t let him handle this on his own “You talked to…”

“Hold up Curly. I can’t believe that I didn’t notice that you stopped washing your hair in super glue. I approve” Santana made a note to herself to ask Brittany what she had meant about Blaine being a broccoli head “Ok, so don’t get your panties in a knot that Sebastian called me. Think for a minute. If he couldn’t be here, wouldn’t he want someone that would react to something in the same way he would?”

Blaine knew she was right, Shit! “Thank you, Santana. I appreciate it. Let’s go find Burt so I can get this over with” She nodded and then turned toward the shop, but he stopped her so he could tell her one more thing “And Santana, thanks for not asking why I’m here.”

They found Burt rather easily and he walked Blaine back to his office. Although they were busy, Burt knew this had to be important since Blaine was so insistent that they meet “It’s good to see you Blaine but I’m pretty sure you’re not here to catch-up. If this is about Kurt…”

“Let me stop you there” Blaine wanted that train of thought stopped immediately “This isn’t about Kurt. I wouldn’t have wasted our time on him.”

Wow! That was harsh.

Blaine decided to ignore the comment for the moment “Have you heard about what happened at Dalton? How the Head Master tried to pass his 25 year-old ex-con drug-dealing nephew as a student?”

“Yes, it was pretty hard to miss when it was all over the news.”

Blaine took a breath before he continued. He really hoped that Burt wasn’t involved with Hunter “The night he was arrested, Clarington told Sebastian that it didn’t matter that his dad was the State’s Attorney because my ex-boyfriend’s father was a United States Congressman. Burt, he mentioned you by name.”

“I don’t understand” Burt sat down and tried to think of a reason that Clarington guy would use his name. Nothing came to him.

“It sounded like he wanted to one-up Sebastian. He also made it sound like he had direct access to you. I should probably tell you that Clarington also knew what happened between myself and Kurt less than a week after it happened. He was the one that told the Warblers. I had believed that no one knew except for me, Kurt, our families, Finn, Rachel and the other guy. Well, until Kurt and Finn felt the need to tell everyone in both the Old and New New Directions. As far as I know, none of them have a connection to Clarington but I’m looking into it.”

Burt became more and more concerned with each new bombshell Blaine threw at him. Politicians sometimes get their names brought up in scandals to which they had no connection, but he had never thought that would be him “Thank you for this Blaine. I know that you didn’t have to do this after all that happened.”

For some reason that rather innocent sounding statement pissed Blaine off “Mr. Hummel” Oh, yeah. Really pissed him off “Despite what you believe happened between myself and your son, I thought that you respected me more than that. Do you honestly believe that I would keep information from you that could ruin your reputation and your political career? Information that could possibly have you brought up on criminal charges?”

“Blaine, I…”

“I’m sorry sir, but I was not finished. As far as I know, the only people that are aware of your connection to this are Clarington, Sebastian, you, me and probably the former Head Master. I have not informed anyone at Dalton. At least not yet. I respected you enough to convince Sebastian to let me talk to you first. But Mr. Hummel, if we find out that you are involved in any way, Sebastian and I will immediately speak to the proper authorities.”

Burt wasn’t sure he liked Blaine’s new attitude, but he appreciated what he had done for him “I understand. Blaine, I really do respect that you came to me first. I swear I have no connection to Clarington or his uncle.”

“Like I said, I do not believe that you are actually involved in this. I do ask that you keep me informed on any information you find out as I will do the same for you.”

Burt stood up and extended his hand “That’s the least I can do.”

Blaine took his hand, but also looked him straight in the eyes and said with complete sincerity “We’ve known each other for a while now Mr. Hummel, but you should know that my priority is to protect Dalton, the Warblers and Sebastian.”

“Sebastian?”

“Yes, Sebastian is my boyfriend now, and I do not know or care if your son knows. It may seem a little soon after my break-up with Kurt, but if we are all honest, that relationship was over long before it officially came to an end” again Blaine thought he had been a bit too harsh, but it was too late to change it “Thank you for taking the time to talk to me today. I hope your event is a success.”

“No, thank you Blaine. And Blaine, I hope that one day soon you’ll feel that you can call me Burt again.”

Even with as busy as the shop was, Burt took a couple of minutes to gather his thoughts. Not only was his name possibly tied to what had happened at Dalton, but there was obviously more to Kurt’s break-up with Blaine than he had been told. He’d ask Kurt, but he had to admit that he had no idea what was going on with his son these days.

When Blaine left the office, he found Santana waiting by the door “Did you get everything settled?” she asked.

“I don’t know, but I hope so” he responded “This didn’t take as long as I anticipated. How much longer until your mom’s car is ready?”

“Trouty said about another hour.”

“Let me take you to the Lima Bean as a thank you. Maybe we can talk about the friendship that seems to be developing between you and my boyfriend? It kind of scares me.”

She took his arm and started to pull him toward the exit “Let’s go. I wanted to check out your sweet new ride anyway.”

The Lima Bean was overcrowded with holiday shoppers, but they had been able to snag a table in the back. As they talked, Blaine found out something he found fascinating.

“You are going to move to New York? And live with Rachel? Rachel Berry? And you’re sure you won’t kill each other?” Blaine wanted to sound supportive, but couldn’t because his inner voice was saying _**LOL…LOL…LOL…I wonder if we could get cameras in there to watch (Not the dirty stuff…and women are beautiful, but...yuck, girl parts).**_

“Yes, Rachel Berry. We’re not in high school anymore. We’ve matured” Blaine folded his arms across his chest and cocked an eyebrow to give her his (almost) patented Tell me the fucking truth stare “Fine, she needed someone to pay half of the rent and I need to get the hell out of Kentucky. I hate it there.”

“Ok, that makes more sense.” He gave it three months. Tops.

The topic changed to Blaine’s concern that Sam and Kurt would be living under the same roof again. Out of the blue, Santana asked “Who’s older? You or your love monkey?”

“Um…well, uh, Bas by 2 months. Why?”

“No reason” She had a smirk that caused Blaine to not believe her, but he’d let it go for now “You know Hummel will throw the mother of all shit fits when he finds out what your parents did for Trouty.” She had barely got the words out of her mouth when…

“What did Blaine’s parents do for Sam? And how would they even know him?”

Of course, Kurt had shown up the moment one of them had said something about him. Santana covertly reached into her purse and turned on the recorder she had slipped in there, just in case. It seemed apropos to tape Kurt this time.

“Hello Kurt. So nice of you to interrupt our private conversation” Blaine greeted his ex with a tone that dripped with not only sarcasm, but outright animosity.

“I thought I would say hi, as not to be rude. But evidently rudeness is not an issue with you. Is it Blaine?”

Blaine looked across the table at Santana who gave him a rather impressive eyeroll. As much as she wanted to tear Kurt a new one after what he had said to Brittany, this was not her fight. Although, if her assistance was necessary she’d be more than happy to help.

Blaine turned his attention back to his ex “What do you want Kurt? There must be something since you obviously had to seek us out. One would think that after that verbal beatdown Santana gave you the other day, you would avoid us altogether.”

Santana let out a snort but covered her mouth in an attempt to make it appear to be a cough.

Yeah, that didn’t work.

Blaine continued before Kurt could respond “As far as what my parents did for Sam goes, I should probably tell you before you throw one of your infamous shit fits.”

“Shit fits, Blaine? So mature.”

“Well, a fit by any other name is still a fit. By the way, that term is not mine which shows that others see your pettiness in the same manner that I do.”

Santana couldn’t hold back any longer “Fuck, Seblaine Junior. I have to bow down to your verbal beatdown skills. You are putting my beatdown of Lady Hummel to shame.”

Ah, Seblaine Junior. The reason for the question about birthdays. Blaine assumed that it was Santana’s way of poking at Kurt. From the expression on his face, it appeared to have worked.

Kurt’s head whipped around to glare at Santana. He had looked annoyed, actually constipated, while talking to Blaine. Once Santana used the term Seblaine, you could see his expression change from annoyed to aggravated.

“Seblaine Junior? Really Santana?” Kurt asked her “You support Blaine and his friendly fuck buddy after what Sebastian did to you?”

This time Santana didn’t hold back her snort/chuckle before she informed him “No, but I do support Blaine and his _boyfriend_. You know, bitches of a feather flock together.”

Blaine and Santana watched as Kurt’s entire demeanor changed from aggravated to blank. Completely and totally expressionless. Blaine was about to say something until “You’re a liar!” he yelled directly toward Blaine “You said after Sectionals that you and Sebastian weren’t boyfriends!”

“Not that it is any of your business, but that changed yesterday. Oh, if you’re curious, I asked him.”

“You should call Seblaine Senior since it is your one day anniversary” Santana added to take another poke at Kurt.

“No!” Kurt yelled even louder than before “I have worked too hard! I have come too far!” Then he abruptly left, repeatedly muttering “I can fix this. I can fix this.”

If someone would have described Blaine and Santana as shocked, that person would not have had a grasp on the situation.

“Was that weird?” he asked.

“Beyond weird. Do you have any idea what that was about?”

“Not a clue” Blaine said as he watched Kurt leave the coffee shop “But for some reason, I don’t think it was about me.”

When Blaine dropped Santana off, she assured him that she would give both Sam and Puck a heads up on Kurt’s dramatics. Also, that he knew Blaine’s parents had done something for Sam, but not what it was. Blaine told her to go ahead tell Brittany everything since she was Sam’s girlfriend. Although, if he had to guess it wouldn’t be for much longer.

As Blaine drove off he reflected on his conversation with Burt. He didn’t have an issue with what he said, but how he had said it. Yes, he had spoken to Mr. Schuster and Finn in the same manner, but he didn’t have the same animosity toward Burt. Tomorrow’s family therapy was not the time to bring this up to Molly, but he would make her aware that he would want to cover it at his next individual session.

Sugar still wasn’t back from shopping when Blaine arrived at the Motta’s. Blaine was actually happy about how things had worked out since it gave him time to talk with Sugar’s dad. Blaine told him about everything from Hunter, to Burt, to Kurt, but their biggest topic of conversation was fight club. Blaine wanted his opinion on both the betting and the leaks. When Sugar still wasn’t back after they had finished, the two of them began to laugh about the numerous times it was almost revealed how they knew each other.

“Did he really ask you if you were a made man in the Motta crime family?” Mr. Motta had found that one funny.

“Yeah, that was pretty close” Blaine said as he remembered the look on Sam’s face when he realized who Blaine had called “I mean…”

Before he could go any further, he was interrupted by the sound of dropped shopping bags and a very enthusiastic “Blainey!”

Within 10 minutes of her arrival, Blaine found himself on the couch with a lap full of Sugar. Once they were comfortable, he told her everything that happened in the choir room after she left. The two of them told each other everything. Ok, almost everything.

“I wish I would have known about the tape Blainey.”

“You weren’t there Sugar Bear” he paused for a moment when she giggled at his rhyme “You were with me in Detroit.”

“When I went back to McKinley, it was so much fun to watch Kurt have his shit fits because your parents took you away for surgery. Wow, Puck was so right about what to name Kurt’s tantrums.”

“You should know that I told some of the guys about _Alpha Gay_ , and Bas told Santana who I’m sure will tell Brittany. They all love it.”

“I am pretty proud of that one” Sugar had been thoroughly pissed when Blaine told her Kurt had called him that “Do you know how hard it has been for me to not say it around him or the others, especially Finn?”

Blaine saw an opening to broach the topic they needed to discuss “Speaking of the others, that hug you gave me after Sectionals brought up more than a few questions. Sweetie, I know you were the one that wanted to keep our relationship secret, but now I’m going to ask you to keep it for at least a little while longer.”

“Because you were sad at McKinley but now you’re not?” Sugar’s bubbly personality was gone and Blaine hated when that happened.

“Sugar Motta, I refuse to tell you again that my depression wasn’t your fault” Blaine tickled her to make her smile again “It is not your fault that I abandoned the Warblers. I did that. Plus, when I transferred to McKinley, I really did want to make Kurt happy.”

“Yuck! I still can’t believe…”

“Sugar, stop. What’s the mantra that Molly taught you?”

She rolled her eyes and answered in her best annoyed, sing-song tone “ _Blaine suffers from depression, but he’s working hard to get better. He admits that he made a lot of stupid decisions during that time and constant reminders of what happened is not healthy for his recovery_ ” when she finished she added “I don’t like to say that you’re stupid.”

“I chose the word, Sweetie. It doesn’t mean that I am stupid but I did make a lot of stupid decisions” Blaine pulled her in a little tighter “Sug, I really need you to do this. Something is going on at Dalton and I called your Daddy for some help. When things come out I don’t want him brought into this. So, do you think you can keep our dirty little secret? At least for a little while longer?”

Sugar nodded her head in agreement and then smiled “You mean that you are my favorite cousin?”

Blaine pretended to gasp as if she had actually told him their secret. She smacked his arm which caused him to smile back at her “Your favorite cousin, huh? Well, I better be considering Cooper is your only other option.”

“Oh my god!” Sugar practically bounced off of Blaine’s lap “I almost had a heart attack the day Cooper showed up at school. How did you convince him to not give away our secret?”

“I told him to consider it an acting exercise.” They both laughed since it was a very Cooper thing to do. Their discussion on this topic seemed to have come to an end, so they just sat for a few minutes while she put her head back on his shoulder and he stroked her hair. They really did love each other and it had been hard to keep their secret while Blaine had been at McKinley. Although Sam had convinced him to go back to Dalton, Blaine would have never left unless Sugar and Uncle Robert had said it was ok. His parents tried to ignore that fact. Uncle Robert wasn’t their favorite person.

Before he left, Blaine wanted to ask one more thing “So, has Kitty mentioned anything about Thad?”

“Uh, duh. You could have led with the fact that his family are all billionaires” she teased “Oh, and by the way, good job on snagging that super-doopity rich, hot piece of ass.”

Sugar’s response did not sit well with Blaine “Sweetie, how do you know this?”

“We googled them.”

A sickening feeling washed over him “What did your search say about Sebastian’s sister?”

“He has a sister?”

When Blaine got home he knew he would have the house to himself. His parents and Cooper were at Senator Thompson’s Kick off the Holidays party and Sebastian had said that he would probably stay at Dalton since his lacrosse game was the next day. He was actually happy everyone would be out. After what Sugar had said he wanted to spend some time on the computer.

However, when he got to his room he found out he wasn’t alone.

“Where have you been!” Sebastian was agitated and had apparently been waiting for a while “You left Santana hours ago!”

“Bas, I went to see Sugar after that” Blaine tried to sound calm, but it didn’t seem to help “I thought you were staying at Dalton tonight?”

“I thought so too, but then I found out about your little run in with Hummel and then you didn’t answer your phone!”

“Oh god, I turned it off when I talked to Sugar and her dad but I thought I had put it on vibrate. I’m so sorry” Blaine pulled out his phone. He not only had 20 missed calls from Sebastian, but also a few from Santana and Sam. He also saw that Kurt had started texting him again, but he’d deal with that later. His answer had not placated Sebastian who continued to rant and pace the room. Blaine figured out rather quickly that this had very little to do with him not answering his phone. That was just what sent him over the edge.

Blaine knew how he could get his boyfriend to stop, but dirty talk would probably not be enough. He would need more, but Blaine was not ready to go that road. Maybe after he fought again. He let Sebastian continue rant until he finally came up with a plan.

“Sebastian stop!” Blaine called out in the voice that Sebastian had no ability to refuse. That and the fact that Blaine had used his full name was enough.

“Good” Blaine walked up to speak into his ear “I’m going to go get a few things. When I get back I want you to be in your boxer briefs. Do you understand me?”

“Killer…”

“Do you understand me?” This was a little more intense than Blaine had planned, but at least Sebastian had calmed down.

“I understand.”

When Blaine came back to the room a few minutes later he laid some towels on his bed. He turned to Sebastian, who had done what he had been told “Lay down on your stomach.”

“You want me to..?” Blaine crossed his arms and cocked his eyebrow so, Sebastian didn’t finish the thought and did what he was told.

Blaine took off his jeans, climbed up to straddle Sebastian, pulled out a bottle of lotion and began to give him give him a massage “I didn’t have any massage oils so you’ll smell like vanilla lotion for a while.”

Sebastian responded with a loud moan, followed by another and then yet another.

“Bas, your neck and shoulders are nothing but knots. You need to let some of this stuff go. Let go of the guilt you have over what happened with the Slushie. Let go of thinking you still have to protect the Warblers from not only what happened that night but also from Hunter. Let go of the idea that you have to play perfectly so that your team will win tomorrow. But most of all you have to let go of the idea that I would ever leave you for Kurt. Bas?”

It was in that moment that he learned that Sebastian did not have his ability to fake sleep. He snored too loudly. That led to yet another problem for Blaine. Despite the fact that he had a queen-sized bed, there was no room for him since his 6’2” boyfriend was lying there, spread eagle and dead to the world.

Blaine got off of the bed, covered Sebastian with a blanket and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Then he stared and marveled at how truly beautiful his boyfriend was, especially since for once it looked like he was at peace. After he was able to pull himself away, Blaine put some lounge pants on and then booted up his computer like he had originally planned. He had some googling to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How Blaine and Sugar are cousins will be explained later.
> 
> In an earlier chapter, Kurt argued with Sebastian stating that he knew Sebastian didn't have a sister, when he actually does.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading.


	10. Crimes and Punishments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian broke the rule. After giving his roommate a project, Blaine talks to Jeff and Nick about his visit to Mr. Motta and later decides to find out why Kurt is texting him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flashback conversation (and two lines of a song. You can tell the difference) will be in italics. Text messages will be in bold italics. Inner thoughts are bold.
> 
> Even though Blaine and Sebastian are texting, it is written as a conversation. No text abbreviations or emojis.

**_To Bas: You broke the rule_ **

**_T_ ** **_o B: What rule?_ **

**_To Bas: There is only one rule Sebastian_ **

**_To B: Sebastian?_ **

**_To B: Oh, that rule_ **

“Um…Blaine?”

It was Doug, his sweet, but as annoying as hell, roommate. His roommate who either had a crush on Blaine Anderson, was in awe of Blaine Warbler or scared shitless of Wolverine. Maybe a little of all three “Doug, we talked about this. My first name is not Um.”

‘I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to be sorry. I want you to be comfortable around me. We sleep ten feet from each other. You’ve seen me in my underwear. Hell you, Bas and Beat are the only guys here that have seen my hair in its natural glory.”

“Beat?”

“He was my roommate sophomore year. We bonded over styling products.”

Doug laughed which seemed to calm him a bit “You asked me, George and Chris to put together a master file of old performances for the Warblers to watch. I was wondering if we should be looking for anything in particular?”

“It’s not just Warbler performances. Pull video of the Hoosier Daddies and Throat Explosion. I already know we’re up against Hoosier Daddies at Regionals and we would most likely see Throat Explosion at Nationals. The Show Choir Blogs say they’re the ones to beat this year.”

Doug sat down and pulled a pencil and paper from his bag. It sounded like this was going to be a bigger project than he thought “Anything else non-Warbler?”

“Find the New Directions win at last year’s Nationals. Also, _Loser Like Me_ from the previous year’s Regionals. Oh, and Vocal Adrenaline from 2009-2010 Regionals. I have heard their _Bohemian Rhapsody_ could possibly be the greatest show choir performance ever. Of course, I heard that from Jesse St. James so…”

He had no idea who Blaine was talking about, but Doug nodded his head like he did “I have Sebastian’s list of last year’s Warbler performances. Anything from the year before?”

Wes had taped all of their routines so Blaine had a substantial list to choose from. He picked two but at the last moment he took a deep breath and said “Pull _Teenage Dream_ as well. It doesn’t have the best memories for me, but it’s a really good arrangement. And Doug, can you do one more thing for me?”

**_To Bas: I was the one that switched rooms due to your problem_ **

**_To B: Killer, I’m sorry_ **

**_To Bas: I don’t care_ **

**_To B: What? Are you going to spank me?_ **

**_To Bas: Don’t think for a second that is not being considered_ **

**_To B: Oh_ **

An hour later, Blaine found himself in the Warbler Commons waiting for Jeff and Nick. They had all been back from break for almost a week but the three friends hadn’t had a chance to discuss everything that happened.

“Hey guys” Blaine greeted them “Nick, you probably want to put out the Do Not Disturb sign.”

“Seriously?” When Blaine nodded, Nick did what he was asked but not before he and Jeff shot a look at each other. They had thought they were meeting to discuss possible songs for Regionals but that obviously wasn’t the case.

Once they were seated, Jeff broached the subject “Since it’s pretty clear that we’re not here to discuss Warbler business I have two questions before we get to whatever the actual topic is. The first one is actually two questions. Did you get the sophomores started on their project and if you did, what songs did you have them pull up?”

“Yes, _Misery_ and _Bills, Bills, Bills_.” Both of the other boys gave Blaine a look like they knew there was more “And yes, I told him to pull _Teenage Dream_.”

Jeff pulled out his wallet and handed Nick 20 dollars “He said there was no way you would tell them to pull _Teenage Dream_ ” Nick explained.

“Just because it was what I sang when I met Kurt doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good song. However, I should let you guys know that I asked Doug to delete any videos or even references to _Candles_. Ok, you can stop laughing now and ask your other question.”

It took the two at least a couple of minutes to compose themselves. After a few deep breaths, Jeff was able to ask “Since we’re obviously going to discuss Fight Club business, where are Sebastian and Thad?”

As if on cue, Blaine’s phone went off with a text from Sebastian “Excuse me for just a second. I need to let Bas know that I’m with you guys. Both Thad and Bas know that I wanted to meet with you separately.”

**_To B: You can’t tell me you haven’t done the same_ **

**_To Bas: No Sebastian, I haven’t. Remember I’m the one stuck with the traumatized roommate_ **

**_To B: It’s not that bad_ **

**_To Bas: Let me put it this way, I know all of your innuendos about random hook-ups at Scandals are a bunch of bullshit. They would have heard your climax over the music. So, stop trying to justify that you touched yourself without permission_ **

**_To Bas: I’m with Jeff and Nick now. We WILL be discussing this later._ **

Sebastian’s jaw dropped as he realized Blaine was actually serious. Would he really spank him? Why did he find that strangely arousing?

“Smythe” Thad brought him out of his head “Stop sexting with your boyfriend. Our project is due tomorrow.”

“Fine, just let me tell him I’m shutting off my phone.”

_**To B: I’m sorry. I really am, but I need to concentrate on finishing my Economics project or Thad will kill me.** _

_**To Bas: Meet me at the Out Building at 9. I’m going to take out some of my frustrations on the heavy bag. Don’t be late**_.

“Everything ok?” Jeff asked.

“Sure” Blaine told him “He and Thad are trying to finish their Economics project. Now that Lacrosse is over it’s going to be easier for them. It’s just too bad they lost last Saturday.”

“It didn’t help that the other team had three players with scholarships to Maryland” Nick reminded them “However, I think Kitty coming to watch helped soothe Thad’s pain. And I have to admit, Sugar is pretty cute too.”

“Ok, walk it back dude. There’s no way you’re laying a hand on my cousin.”

Shit!

“What?!?” Both Nick and Jeff looked like their eyes were going to pop out of their heads. Blaine gave them a moment to grasp the information so he could develop a game plan. He had fucking been able to fucking keep this fucking secret for over a fucking year, yet a fucking week after he fucking told Sugar that they fucking needed to keep it for a fucking while longer, he had fucking let it out.

Fuck!

To say the least, he was a bit frustrated at what had happened.

Nick looked over to Jeff who decided to be the brave one and asked “So, Mr. Motta is your…?”

“Yes, he’s my Uncle. He was married to my Aunt Cory, my mother’s sister.”

“Is she the one that died of cancer when you were here?” Blaine nodded but it was obvious that he didn’t want to talk about it. They dropped the subject, but there was another question to be asked “Thad said there was a chance you were going to talk to Mr. Mo…your Uncle. Did you?”

“Oh, yeah.”

_ Flashback _

_“Before you say a word, give me a dollar.”_

_“Huh?”_

_“Blaine, shut up and give me a dollar.” Blaine reached into his wallet and did what his Uncle had asked “Good. Now I am Robert Motta your attorney and not your Uncle.”_

_“What’s the difference?”_

_“Your attorney can’t be forced to testify against you where your Uncle can. So Blaine, start talking and don’t leave anything out.”_

_Once Blaine started to talk he couldn’t stop. He explained how the Fight Club worked, how they dispense consequences and how and why they took over the betting. That they used the money to pay David’s tuition and that he thinks the money comes from a scholarship. Also, how they know they have a leak but no way to track it down._

_Since he was clearing his chest, Blaine decided to add what happened with Hunter and his conversation with Burt from earlier that morning. When he finished, the last thing he expected was for his lawyer/Uncle to bust out laughing._

_“This is not funny Uncle Rob.”_

_“No, it’s not but DAMN! You boys could teach some of my, shall we say, acquaintances about how to run a business.”_

_“It’s that bad?”_

_“Since none of you are 18, your family names can probably save you. Is there anyone who’s not safe?”_

_“Jeff, but he never touched the money.”_

_“Ok, don’t mention this to him yet. I’ll see what I can do. Don’t roll your eyes, you know what I mean. Now, listen carefully. No more fights. None. I can make sure you boys are protected, but I can’t say the same for Dalton if people find out the fights were there. After the shit with that Hunter guy and the headmaster, the school couldn’t handle another scandal.”_

_Flashback Over_

“Oh my god Blaine, I thought Sam was joking when he said you were a made man in the Motta crime family” Nick blurted out.

“So says the guy whose great-great grandfather made the family fortune as a bootlegger during prohibition and then used his mob connections to get his son elected President of the United Sates. Don’t judge me Nicholas Kennedy Duval.”

“Right back at you Blaine Vanderbilt Anderson.”

“Wait!” Jeff jumped in “I knew about Nick being a Kennedy, but you’re a Vanderbilt?”

“Yeah, on my mom’s side. You thought it was a coincidence that my brother’s name is Cooper Anderson?”

It took Jeff a minute, but he finally understood what Blaine meant “Ok, fine. I get it but some day you’re going to have to explain to me how you wound up at Westerville High. To get back on track, you said your Uncle said no more fights. How are we supposed to draw out the leak?”

“Just because we can’t actually have a fight doesn’t mean we can’t say we are.” After Blaine explained himself, the three of them spent the rest of the next two hours formulating a plan. They only tabled their discussion because Blaine had to leave for his therapy appointment. He had just changed into “civilian clothes” and grabbed the keys to his truck when…

_**To B: Thad and I are done with our project. Did you want to talk now?** _

_**To Bas: I’m on my way to see Molly, O observant boyfriend. Today we’re going to talk about my anger issues.** _

_**To B: Ok, hey I had an idea. Why don’t I come over to your house this weekend and we could change You +Me into a duet? After all, it is OUR song.** _

_**To Bas: Not going to work Bas.** _

_**To B: At least you called me Bas.** _

_**To Bas: Just because you’re cute and I’m horny doesn’t mean you’re not going to be punished for what you did. Just meet me at the Out Building at 9.** _

Sebastian thought for a minute. Blaine said that he was already horny and that he (Sebastian) needed to be punished. He also wanted to meet in the Out Building because he was going to be working out on the heavy bag. While that didn’t necessarily mean Blaine would be in full-on Wolverine mode, it did mean that… He had to stop. Just the thought of Blaine shirtless, sweaty with rippling muscles from pounding the bag was making his dick harden with anticipation of his “punishment”. That was not a good thing considering he was surrounded by five of his Lacrosse teammates.

Even though he had his boner killer mantra of **Blaine and Rachel kissing, Blaine and Rachel kissing** running through his head, Sebastian did manage to text…

**_To B: Yes Sir._ **

Meanwhile, Blaine continued to have problems with trying to leave. At least now he was halfway to the parking lot before he was stopped by Doug and the two boys that were helping him with the project.

“Um…No, just Blaine, we have a question.”

Blaine decided not to brush them off because Doug had made an attempt to work on the whole Um situation. Plus they all seemed, well, giddy “I only have a couple of minutes, but how can I help you guys?”

“We finished the project and…”

“Wait, you finished the project? You put all of those performances into a single file? I thought it would take at least a week.”

“Doug is a total computer genius” Chris told him.

Blaine knew that information could be helpful later “Ok, wow. That’s awesome guys. Did you need something else?”

The boys tried not to giggle as Doug pulled out his tablet “When we were looking for the performances on the list you and Sebastian gave us, when we found one not on the list that we were wondering if you would want us to include?”

Blaine was curious, but the minute he saw himself on the screen he knew exactly what they were talking about.

 _Me, me, me against them_  
_Me against enemies, me against friends_

Blaine stopped the video at that point “Ok, you three can stop giggling now. Yes, I rapped at last year’s Regionals and no, there is not a chance in hell that I will be doing it again. However, include it just for the laughs.”

“Thanks Blaine” they said in unison and started to leave, but Blaine had an idea. An idea that would help with the punishment of his naughty, naughty boyfriend.

“Guys, you don’t know how much I appreciate this. I don’t know (Oh, he knew) if you all would be interested but I’m going down to the Out Building tonight to work on the heavy bag. Would you guys like to join me? Maybe I can show you a few techniques? Nothing for Fight Club, just some basic boxing moves?”

They looked at him like he was Santa Clause and he had just given each of them the best Christmas present ever. “Yes, yes, yes” and “Thank You” were spewed out at a mile a minute “Ok, ok. Meet me at 8 o’clock. Despite what I wear you should wear some loose fitting sweats and good gym shoes. I’ll see you then, but Doug can you walk with me to my truck? I have something I want to ask you.”

Once they were alone Blaine asked “Were you able to delete what I asked you to?”

“Sure, it was easy. Also, I found it on a couple of YouTube sites and I was able to delete it there too.”

“You can do that on other people’s posts?”

“It’s not hard. Most people don’t set up all the securities they can on their accounts.”  
Blaine couldn’t help but think to himself how he had just found the answer to his Google problem “That’s fascinating. Do me another favor. Don’t tell anyone else about us meeting later and make sure George and Chris don’t either. I don’t want other people trying to be included.”

“Oh, absolutely. Although, I have to admit, if my older brother ever found out he would have a heart attack. He pretty much worships Wolverine.”

“Have you told him…?”

Doug’s face expressed total panic “No, no, no. I would never say anything. First of all, he’s an asshole. But mostly, you know, first rule and all. My brother graduated from here the year before Fight Club was founded. He heard about it from another alumnus before the consequences were instituted. However, by the time he got to a fight, you were gone. When he heard you fought at the last fight he about came unglued since he couldn’t make it.”

“It must be hard to keep this from him, especially with me as your roommate.”

“Like I said, he’s an asshole which makes it easier” With all of the ease the two had been conversing with, Blaine became concerned when his roommate got quiet. He was about to say something when Doug spoke up “Can I ask you a question?” Blaine nodded for him to continue “When you did have to give consequences to that one guy did the Rules Council really get his acceptance to Harvard rescinded and he wound up at a community college in North Dakota?”

Blaine shook his head at how ridiculous the story had become, but in reality “No, we got his acceptance to Harvard rescinded and he went to Brown.”

“Isn’t that basically the same thing?”

“Doug, Brown is an Ivy League school. I have a friend that is applying there.”

“You do?” Doug asked like it was the most shocking thing that he had ever heard.

“Yes, she’s a friend of mine from McKinley.”

“Oh, that explains it. I’ll let you go. See you at 8!”

Blaine had to smile about the conversation that he just had. Although, before he could finish getting into his truck, his phone went off with another text. This one wasn’t from Sebastian. It was from Kurt who had been texting him almost constantly since their run-in at the Lima Bean. Blaine knew he had about a 20-minute drive to Molly’s, so he started the truck and set up the call on his Bluetooth. He thought it was a good idea to go ahead and answer Kurt since he would be seeing his therapist immediately afterwards.

“Blaine?”

“Hello, Kurt. You wanted to talk to me?”

“Yes, but you sound strange.”

“I’m driving so you’re on speaker. Don’t worry, I’m alone. Now, how can I help you?”

“I wanted to know why you went to see my dad.”

“Why didn’t you ask him?” There was no way he was going to tell Kurt, but he was very interested to find out which way this conversation would go.

“I did but he wouldn’t tell me.”

“Then why do you think I would tell you?”

“Because you owe me.”

Blaine was glad he was at a stop light since it would give him at least 30 seconds to contemplate what had just been said “Kurt, I don’t owe you a fucking thing. If your dad doesn’t want to tell you, I sure the hell am not. So, if that is what you wanted, I’m hanging up.” Although he didn’t want to because he wanted to know why the hell Kurt thought he owed him something. He could hear how frustrated Kurt was, but when next he spoke his voice was clear and calm.

“I’m sorry, I phrased that wrong. Let me tell you what. I’ll be back in Lima next Wednesday. Can we meet at Breadsticks a week from this Saturday? You can bring Sebastian.”

That was shocking. It wasn’t that Blaine wanted to meet up with Kurt, it was that this conversation was a little…hell, it was a lot strange “Ok, I’ll meet with you next Saturday but I will not tell you about my meeting with your dad. That’s up to him. Plus, I hate Breadsticks. There had to be another restaurant in Lima.”

“Fine. So, you’ll come? And what about Sebastian?”

“I’ll ask but it’s totally up to him. And Kurt, this better not be a set-up of any kind because if it is, I swear…”

“I promise. This is totally on the up and up. Just a chance to clear the air with both you and Sebastian. Sorry, but I have to go before Rachel tries to claim anymore of my belongings are hers.”

_Flash Forward 11PM_

**_To B: Please_ **

**_To Bas: Nope_ **

**_To B: Please_ **

**_To Bas: It’s called punishment Sebastian. I need to know that you learned your lesson._ **

**_To B: I did._ **

**_To Bas: Really? I wanted to give you a simple demonstration on silent sex yet I had to shove my cock down your throat to shut you up. Did you notice that with as hard as I came, the three guys in the next room didn’t hear a thing? They might have guessed you were on your knees for me, but they didn’t know for sure._ **

**_To Bas: Sebastian, this is why we have the no touching of your cock rule. You seem to be incapable of having silent sex. I promise that we will practice, but for right now the no touching rule applies. You wouldn’t want to wake up Doug. Or Thad. Or Jeff and Nick that are on the other end of the hall._ **

**_To B: Please_ **

**_To Bas: Good night Bas. Although I think I need to check on you. You shouldn’t be able to text with your hands tied up._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As of the day this chapter was written, Maryland was the number one College Men’s Lacrosse team in the US.
> 
> Anderson Cooper, the CNN news anchor, is the son of Gloria Vanderbilt who was famous for designer jeans in the 1980s. So, Anderson Cooper/Cooper Anderson? Get why I chose the Vanderbilts for Blaine’s family. I thought it was funny.
> 
> I’m sure Brown is a lovely school, but I have heard that people in other Ivy League schools tend treat it differently. This even happened on Glee Season 6 between Quinn and Tina.
> 
> Author’s note: I chose the name Cory for Blaine’s aunt for a reason. Almost one year ago my cousin Cory was killed in an act of domestic violence by a man she had lived with for less than a month. So, if you are in a relationship where your partner doesn’t treat you like the precious gift that you are, leave as soon as you safely can. Ask for help. You will be amazed what people will do.  
> If you are the family member, friend, co-worker or even acquaintance of someone you believe is a victim of domestic violence, do everything you can do to help them safely leave. They may not want to leave, but don’t give up. They will hate you for a while, or even forever, but that is so much better than the alternative. Trust me.


	11. Computer Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine asks his roommate for help to find answers that Google couldn’t give him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is much shorter than the others. The scene is vital to moving the story forward, but it didn’t fit into “flow” of any future chapters. Ok there’s that, but the actual reason I am posting this is because my total word count to date is 36,600 and 69. I am not a superstitious person, except for one thing…the number 66(well, you can guess the last one). Yes, I am serious. Feel free to mock me in the comments section if you must.

Blaine came back to his room to find Doug sitting before his computer. It was the opening he had been looking for.

“Hey Doug. Whatcha working on?” When the boy practically fell out of his chair, Blaine apologized for startling him.

“No, it’s ok. It’s just when I start working on a new algorithm I get pretty focused.”

“How come I’ve never seen you working on one of these?” Blaine asked, impressed by what he saw on the screen.

Doug sighed and bowed his head, obviously uncomfortable with answering the question “I didn’t want you to know how big a nerd I am.”

“Well, you can’t be as big of a nerd as I am” Blaine laughed “I can quote Harry Potter word for word, and I am talking the books not the movies. I read Star Wars fanfiction and my best friend Sam and I totally geek out when it comes to comics and superheroes. At McKinley, we started the Secret Society of Superheroes Club. We had, well still have, costumes and everything.”

“Oh my god! I heard you and the blonde guy were wearing costumes when you took the trophy back! I thought people had made that up.”

“Yeah, that was us” Since Doug seemed more comfortable, Blaine decided to just go for it “I know you’re busy, but do you think in the near future you can help me with something computer related. It’s not for a class or anything, so just when you have the time.”

“I can do it now” he offered. When Blaine gave him a cocked eyebrow and a look of disbelief, Doug answered “I need a break from this. When you came in I was contemplating throwing my computer across the room.”

“Ok, so my cou…my friend Sugar told me that she googled Sebastian to see if he was good enough for me. I tried to do it and found nothing except he was mentioned in an article from when his dad ran for State’s Attorney.”

Doug motioned for Blaine to bring his desk chair over while he saved what he was working on and pulled up Google “The problem was you stopped there. Sebastian got you to his dad. Now, you search his dad and that leads you to your next search. Each search gives you more information until you have what you need.”

“Makes sense” Blaine couldn’t believe that he hadn’t thought of that “Can you do me a favor and see if you can find any information on his sister? Her name is…”

“No, don’t tell me. That would make it too easy.” Blaine got up and went to the mini-fridge to get them each a bottle of water figuring it would take a while. Three minutes later “Sierra Smythe Russo. That wasn’t easy.”

“Dude! Not easy? It took you less than five minutes to find her. I spent three hours online and still came up with nothing.”

The pride on Doug’s face could not be questioned “My computer is probably much more hi-tech than yours. Plus, I knew what I was looking for. If you would have not said she was Sebastian’s sister, it would have taken me longer.”

Blaine guessed since Kurt didn’t know about Sierra that meant he (or someone for him) had only done a basic search on Sebastian. But why? “So, you’re saying that it would take an advanced search to find her. It would take someone like you.”

“Not necessarily, it would just get you there faster. Does that help?”

“More than you know. Thank you” With everything that Doug had told him so far, Blaine knew he had found the right person to help with his other issue “Can I ask one more thing?”

“Sure.”

“If I wanted to find someone but only knew his first name and the city he lives in, could I even do that? Let me rephrase, could you even do that?”

“Maybe.”

“Seriously Doug, where did you learn to do all of this?”

“I taught myself mostly. I want to be a computer analyst for someplace like the CIA or National Security. That or an identity thief.” He smiled when Blaine let out a chuckle. They were both happy that their relationship had become more comfortable “Can we talk openly or will there be things you can’t talk about?”

“Go for it. I’ll let you know if it is something I can’t tell you.”

“Are you sure that the name you have is really his first name?"

“What do you mean?”

“You know, like that one actor on that one show that looks like you. His last name is Criss. It sounds like a first name.”

“Ok, I don’t look like him but I get what you’re talking about. Are there any other things I might have to consider?”

“Just that the name you have might be some sort of a nickname. Could you imagine trying to find Beat on the internet?”

Blaine sighed and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He hoped that this would find the leak but it sounded like he needed more information. Information that he didn’t have “Well, thanks anyway. I guess I’m screwed, huh?”

“Did I say that?” Doug asked as he smiled and then cracked his knuckles “You said you know where he lives?”

That perked Blaine up “Actually, it’s they not he and they live here in Westerville.”

“That helps because if they grew up here they would have gone to Westerville High. About how old are they? Are they our age?”

“A little older. Does that matter?”

“If they graduated in the last five years, we can pull up an online yearbook. That is if you want me to.”

Blaine literally jumped out of his chair “Yes, yes, oh my god, yes! You don’t know what this means!”

“I haven’t done anything yet.” It took him a little longer to gain access to the Westerville High yearbook than it did to find Sebastian’s sister, but that didn’t mean it took long “We’re in. So, what are the names?”

“Wyatt and Toby. Hey, are you ok? You don’t look so good all of a sudden.”

Doug tried desperately to think of a way to stop what was happening, but couldn’t. He had to give Blaine whatever information he found or pay the consequences. There was no real choice “I’m fine, just let me put the names in. Ok, you have five Wyatts and no Tobys, although you do have a Stan Tobison. Would you like me to send you the information? Blaine?”

“Yeah” Blaine couldn’t take his eyes off the screen “It’s just that Tobison guy and the third Wyatt look familiar, but I don’t know from where.” He shook his head to rid himself of the creepy feeling he had, and that made him notice the time “Shit! I was supposed to meet Trent to work on Calculous. Thank you again Doug. Seriously, I can’t thank you enough but Doug, you can’t talk about this with anyone. Understand?”

The second Blaine left the room, Doug got out his phone.

“What do you want Doug?”

“Shut up Earl. You have a problem. A fucking big problem.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The guys in the Rules Council are looking for Wyatt and Toby. They’re really smart guys, Earl. It won’t take them long to figure out that you’re the one that told those two idiots about Dalton’s Fight Club.”


	12. Saturday in Lima

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine and Sebastian spend a lovely day with both friends and family. Then they have dinner with Kurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: I never hide the fact that most of my writing is Kurt Unfriendly. However, this chapter takes it to the next level. Just know that for this story’s purposes I would have written any ex in this manner.
> 
> Note: There is a lot of dialogue here, but I tried to not constantly say "he said" or "she asked" by putting character's names in the actual sentences.

Saturday came, but Blaine had called Kurt the day before and asked if they could change their brunch to dinner. He had forgotten that family therapy was an hour later that usual and there were a couple of other things he needed to take care of. Both of them involved Sam.

“Sam, I’m really sorry about Brittany” Blaine told him.

“Yeah, I know. Me too. But, I went in knowing she was still in love with Santana” Sam admitted.

“I’ve got a suggestion. Why don’t Killer and I cancel with Hummel, get you a fake ID and go to Scandals where you can really drown your sorrows. Tea from the Lima Bean is not going to do anything for you Sam.”

Blaine smacked his boyfriend in the shoulder “We have discussed this Bas. Sam stays out of Scandals. Plus, we have to go to dinner with Kurt. Keep your friends close but your enemies closer, remember?”

“Why can’t I go to…” Sam had another of his famous epiphanies “Oh, it’s my lips. Right?”

“Sam, if we took you to Scandals you would be hit-on more than my heavy bag is when I am frustrated with my boyfriend.” Blaine’s hand slid underneath the table to squeeze Sebastian’s upper thigh. There had been a lot of frustration that week. Sexual frustration.

“I get it” Sam chuckled “Santana named me Trouty Mouth for a reason. I’ll be right back. I’m going to go get some more water for my tea.”

The moment Sam was away from the table, Blaine tightened his grip on Sebastian’s thigh and leaned over to speak into his ear “You were a very bad boy, Sebastian.”

“Why? I don’t understand.”

“You know how horny I’ve been, yet you mentioned taking Sam to Scandals which got us talking about those big, beautiful lips of his. That started me thinking about the day of Sectionals when Sam told Kurt that we were both hot and that he would do either of us. Now, I would never actually do this, but all I can think of is Sam doing _BOTH_ of us. At the same time. Would you like that?”

Without hesitation Sebastian answered “No.”

“No?”

“No, I’m not sharing you with anyone. I don’t care if they have the best blow job lips known to mankind.”

The comment prompted Blaine to give his boyfriend a quick, sweet peck on his lips. Even with Sebastian’s past innuendos and the games that the two of them play, Blaine knew that Sebastian just loved him. It was simple and easy, but also sexy as hell. Going to rescue that damn trophy was the best decision of his life.

“Will the two of you stop being so cutsey and loving? It’s making my teeth hurt” Sam whined upon his return to the table.

Blaine leaned over and kissed Sebastian’s cheek “No. Now, Brittany…”

Sam let out a groan “Can we talk about something else besides my love life, or lack there of? Like, what’s going on with Wyatt and Toby and why haven’t you taken them somewhere and beaten the shit out of them until they tell you who the leak is?”

“Because the only person Blaine likes to torture is me” Sebastian joked before leaning over and reciprocating the kiss on the cheek Blaine had given him. Sam didn’t need to know how true that really was.

“Ha ha” Blaine gave Sebastian an impressive eye roll as a response to his comment “Since my birthday was in October, I am now 18 and could be tried as an adult for assault. It’s one thing to fight within the confines of Fight Club, it’s another to go up to a stranger and deck them.”

“Have you figured out where you know them from?”

“No. They graduated, well dropped out, the year before I went to Westerville. I don’t know, maybe I saw them hanging around the school? We’re just lucky they were there long enough that it was too late to remove their pictures from the yearbook.”

“So, what are you guys doing? You’re at least having them watched or something like that. Oooh, did you have your Sugar’s daddy find out about them. Wait, that didn’t sound right.”

Both Blaine and Sebastian attempted to keep their laughter down to a chuckle, but Blaine failed so Sebastian answered “No, we found out that both of them had been popped recently on possession with intent to sell. We then may have _hypothetically_ asked a Dalton contact within the Franklin County DA’s office to _hypothetically_ search for any known associates tied to Dalton.”

“Did they find anyone?”

“Yeah, Hunter Clarington.”

“What?!” Sam slapped his hand over his mouth because he had said that much louder than he intended.

“We were shocked too” Blaine told him “But both you and Puck said that Toby and Wyatt said they got their Fight Club information from a Dalton graduate. Hunter’s not a graduate. We’re hoping that it’s just a weird coincidence, but are keeping our eyes and ears open.”

“Are you still going through with the plan to draw the leak out?”

Blaine glanced over at Sebastian and they both nodded. His Uncle Robert had strongly suggested that they keep Sam’s knowledge to a minimum. Just enough for him to help with identifying Wyatt and Toby “As of now, yes. However, we won’t get started until we have come back from break. Speaking of break, were you surprised when my parents invited you and your family to come to Aspen with us after Christmas?” Sam was not the only one that had been surprised since his parents had not told him that he had invited (and had paid for) the Evans family to join them at the family cabin.

“Are you kidding me? I couldn’t believe it. My mom literally cries with happiness when we talk about the trip and Stevie won’t shut up about learning to snowboard.”

This time it was Sebastian squeezing Blaine’s thigh, but this was a show of support. He knew that Blaine was about to do something he had hoped to avoid “That’s great Sam, but I have another surprise. When you get there, someone else you know will be there as well.”

“Sebastian, you’re coming?”

“No, it’s not Bas.”

**An hour later…**

“Sugar is your what?!”

“I’m Blainey’s cousin” Sugar told him “Are you ok?”

“I just need to sit down for a minute” Since they were in the Motta’s kitchen, Sebastian pulled out a bar stool for Sam so he didn’t fall. He was too busy staring at Blaine and Sugar to pay attention “How? I mean you look nothing alike.”

Blaine put his arm around Sugar’s waist and pulled her close. She was uneasy about someone in the New Directions knowing their secret “Our moms are sisters and you know I am basically my dad’s clone.”

“Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

“It was my idea” Sugar explained “We moved here after my mom died...”

Blaine pulled her even closer and kissed the side of her head “It’s ok, Sugary Sweet. I can tell Sam everything if you want me to.” He knew that any mention of her mom still tended to shut her down even though it had been almost three years.

“No, it was my idea, I should explain it.”

“Not to interrupt” but Sam did anyway and asked Blaine “Did she have anything with you coming to McKinley? It wasn’t just for Kurt?”

“I had been leaning toward transferring for Kurt, but my parents would have never have signed off on that. Sugar’s more of a sister to me than a cousin and they knew I wanted to be there for her in her new school. It just took a little while to get the transfer taken care of since I don’t live in Lima. I wound up using this address on my transfer. It was just a coincidence that Uncle Robert bought a house that was in McKinley’s district.”

“I always wondered how they let you into McKinley since you didn’t live in that district. Or city. Or half of the state” Sebastian chimed in but then realized that he and Sam had truly interrupted Sugar “Sorry, Sugar. Were you happy that B was able to go to McKinley?”

“No, it’s ok and I know what Blaine did for me. That’s why I feel so guilty about…”

“Sugar, do you need to repeat the mantra?” She hated to say it, but it was a reminder that Blaine’s depression was not her fault.

She stuck her tongue out at him as her response “Any way” she drawled out “I knew I was a bad singer, but I wanted to join the New Directions to make friends like Blainey did with the Warblers. I didn’t think that I would be the only person in history to not be allowed in to a glee club that accepts everyone. Then the next day Blainey came and sang _It’s Not Unusual_. Everyone loved it, loved him, even the people that Slushied glee club members.”

All of the boys glanced around at each other knowing that there was probably a different reason behind Blaine’s total acceptance.

“I still don’t understand” Sam had seen videos of both Sugar’s audition and Blaine’s performance. Yes, they were at opposite ends of the “rate my performance” scale, but what did that have to do with them not telling anyone they were related?

“I know what people say about me, Sam. How daddy had to buy me a glee club. Can you imagine the teasing I would have gone through when people figured out that the worst singer in the world was cousins with the best? After Blainey helped me get better at harmonizing, I thought about telling everyone but we decided to wait until this year because I didn’t like the people that graduated.”

“Then why haven’t you told anyone? Is it because Blaine went back to Dalton?”

“That would be because of me” Robert Motta entered the kitchen and held out his hand, but did not offer an explanation. “You must be Sebastian and Sam. Blaine has told me a lot about the two of you. I’m his Uncle Robert.” Sebastian stepped forward to shake his hand, but Sam had to be nudged by Blaine. He wasn’t afraid of the supposed mobster, quite the opposite. After everything he had heard he was actually having a bit of a fanboy moment. “Sugar, honey, can you give me and the boys some time. Why don’t you go call Kitty and coordinate your wardrobe for tomorrow?”

“Ok, Daddy” She turned to Blaine and gave him a hug “Are you going to leave after you all talk?”

“Yes, but I’ll see you and Kitty tomorrow at my house for the Christmas Cookie Bake.”

“And you’re going to be nice to Nick tomorrow, right Blainey?”

“No.”

“What did Nick do?” Sam asked.

“He asked Sugar on a date without getting Blaine’s permission” Sebastian laughed remembering the look on Nick’s face when he realized that Blaine was serious. Not a wise decision to piss off a guy who lists beating the crap out of people as one of his hobbies.

“Hold up, Nick knew the two of you are cousins before I did?”

“Nick, Jeff and Thad. I told Nick and Jeff by accident after Nick made a comment about how cute Sugar was” Blaine practically growled “I told Thad because it was too hard not to since Sugar and Kitty are best friends and he’s kind of dating Kitty. They just know the basics, but enough that Nick should have known better.”

“Ok, I’m going to go call Kitty” Sugar said before turning to her cousin’s boyfriend “Sebby, please make sure Blainey is nice to Nick.”

“Not happening!” Blaine called out as she left.

Once she was gone, Sam had questions he wanted to ask “Ok, two things. First, Sebby?”

“Only Sugar, Evans. Don’t even try.”

“Got it. So Blaine, why the issues with Nick when Sugar dated Rory last year?”

Blaine grabbed Sebastian’s hand before saying “I wasn’t around last year when they started dating.” It went unsaid that he was out due to eye surgery.

Mr. Motta changed subject rather quickly “Now Blaine, are you and Sebastian meeting with Kurt once you leave here?”

“We are. Why?”

“With the unknown connection between Congressman Hummel and Clarington and what happened at and after Sectionals, I can’t help but think there is more going on than he’s saying. Especially when he asked you to tell him what you and his dad discussed.”

“And he’s been acting strange” Sam added.

“How?”

“He’s been a little too nice since he moved back from New York. Like creepy, serial killer before he cuts you up into pieces, nice.”

The four of them became so entrenched in conversation that they didn’t notice how late it had gotten. Blaine and Sebastian made it to the restaurant right on time and Kurt walked in a minute later. They were immediately escorted to their table and were able to hold a civil conversation throughout the meal. Of course the topics had been limited to the weather, holiday shopping, favorite Christmas movies and whether or not Blaine and Sebastian would be attending Rachel’s New Year’s party that she was throwing at her dads’ house. It was the last topic that had the boys feeling uneasy. When it was discussed, they both understood why Sam had said what he said. Kurt really was being creepy, serial killer nice.

“Sorry Kurt, but B and I already have plans to attend Wes Montgomery’s party.” Sebastian was trying to be cordial. Trying being the operative word.

“But you’re both friends with all of the New Directions, both old and new. Blaine, Sam is your best friend. Oh, but you will have already spent five days in Aspen with Sam and his entire family.”

“And there it is. The true reason for this meal” Blaine had never told Kurt how wealthy his family actually was because Kurt was extremely…well, materialistic. He should have known when his dad gave Sam the truck that Kurt would start asking questions.

“I don’t understand, Blaine. What reason?” Kurt asked with almost a sing-song tone to his voice.

Sebastian threw his napkin onto the table and pushed his chair back “Cut the crap Hummel. We knew coming into this that your whole Let’s just be friends act was a fucking lie. So, either tell us what you want or we’re out of here.”

Kurt turned his attention to Blaine “Are you going to let him speak for you in that manner or are you going to speak up for yourself?”

“Oh, I can more than speak up for myself. I just didn’t feel the need to repeat exactly what Bas said. So, if that is all we’ll be on our way.”

Sebastian had pulled out his credit card to pay the bill, he assumed that would be the case anyway, when both he and Blaine witnessed Kurt’s entire demeanor change. The real Kurt had finally made an appearance. He folded his arms across his chest like he always did when his defenses went up “You want to talk, let’s talk.”

They all settled down when the waitress came to take the bill. However, Sebastian ordered them all coffee and dessert to give them an excuse to remain at the table. When she left to get the order, Blaine asked his ex “Does this have something to do with you saying that I owed you? What the fuck could I possibly have done to owe you anything?”

“You cheated on me, you broke up with me, you performed that stunt at Sectionals and then despite everything I had done you still wound up running to him.” Kurt’s voice dripped with disgust as he referred to Sebastian.

The conversation halted again when the waitress brought their coffee and dessert. This gave Blaine and Sebastian time to process what Kurt had said. By just a glimpse at each other, they could tell that each of them were concerned about the end of the statement. The rest was crazy talk.

“What did you do, Kurt?” Blaine asked the question because he could see Sebastian seething with anger. Perhaps it had not been the best idea to have this little tête-à-tête in such a public space.

Kurt’s face made it look like he was searching for the right words to say until “Fine. It’s not like anyone can do anything about it now. I couldn’t believe it when Santana of all people figured out that what I did wasn’t about the Slushie, but about _I Want You Back_.”

“You are fucking kidding me!” Sebastian hissed, trying to keep his voice down “If you were so pissed why did you just sit there and look constipated?”

“I did not look constipated! I was in shock but looking back I don’t know why. You rich, entitled Dalton bastards just take what you want and you wanted my boyfriend. I needed to find a way to stop you and the very next day the universe gave me the gift of the Slushie.”

“I’m so glad to hear that my needing surgery was a gift to you.”

“Oh Blaine, I’m not talking about your pain. I’m talking about how you stopped speaking to this asshole as well as the other Warblers. Also, I knew that the Meerkat would receive the punishment he so richly deserved.”

Both Blaine and Sebastian were confused by Kurt’s answer, but Sebastian understood what he meant first “You son of a bitch! You knew I had already gone to the Headmaster before you gave me the tape.”

“Of course, I did” Kurt snickered, like it was the most obvious thing that ever happened “I wanted you expelled and sent back to Paris, but he said that since your dad was State’s Attorney the only thing he could really do was suspend you and then put you on probation. It wasn’t enough, especially since I was leaving for New York and Blaine would be back here in Ohio. I knew eventually you would be in contact again. That’s why I went back to Dalton and we hatched the plan to give you a babysitter.”

Blaine knew he had to do something quickly or he would spend the rest of the evening bailing his boyfriend out of jail. He reached down and grabbed Sebastian’s crotch. That startled him enough to allow Blaine to speak “Oh my god, your father helped you get a known drug dealer admitted to Dalton just to keep me and Bas apart?”

“Really Blaine? My dad would never have anything to do with this. Why would you think that?” Kurt wanted to know, but Blaine wasn’t about to tell him. He knew that the former Headmaster had had political aspirations, so he must have thought helping a Congressman’s son would help further those goals. He was beyond stunned by what Kurt had said. This wasn’t the Kurt he had known. Or was it and his depression had prevented him from seeing the truth. Blaine looked over at Sebastian and determined it was time to get him out of there.

“We are leaving Kurt, but don’t think this conversation is over.”

“But you need to stay so you can find out how you are going to make amends for what you two did to me.”

“What we did to you? You made my life hell for months.” Sebastian was talking again but unfortunately, he was loud enough to gain the attention of those around them “I am going to destroy you.”

Kurt portrayed himself as the mannered one of the group and apologized for his friend “No, you are going to do exactly the opposite. It took a while for me to figure out what I wanted, then you gave me the answer, Sebastian.”

“What fucking answer?”

“As you have probably guessed, I have done research on you but had never found anything that suggested you had a sister. However, at Sectionals you insisted that you have one named Sierra. Later that night I was talking to a friend from Vogue.com who said that he knew a designer at Dior named Sierra who had a brother named Sebastian. It didn’t take long to verify that she was indeed your sister. My mistake had been that I had researched you only through your father’s side. I never would have guessed mommy dearest would have had a little bundle of joy at only 17. It seems that with you Sebastian, the slutty apple doesn’t fall far from the slutty tree.”

If ever there was a time that Blaine appreciated how deceptively strong he was, it was now. He was able to grab Sebastian into a hug, preventing him from lunging across the table at Kurt “Kurt, I am totally disgusted at what you just said to Bas. Don’t ever call me again. I won’t be answering.” Blaine stood up and tried to think of a way to block Sebastian from Kurt as they left.

“Oh, Blaine dear, why don’t you sit down. We’re not finished.”

“Give me one good reason we should stay.”

A smile came across Kurt’s face. A creepy, serial killer before he cuts you into pieces, smile “I bet David could come up with 876,512 reasons.”

Sebastian watched as Blaine’s whole body froze “Killer, what’s going on.”

“That is the exact amount of money in David’s scholarship account.” Sebastian knew that actually meant that it was the money from the bets they took at Fight Club.

Kurt was giddy in his belief that his plan had worked perfectly. With that said, his anticipation for his next bombshell was palpable. “Scholarship account, that’s a good one. Now, why don’t you sit back down so we can finish our conversation… _Wolverine_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in posting. I have been working on my Seblaine Week stories.
> 
> I know there seems to be a lot to each chapter, but I try to divide them into three distinct sections. I’m pushing my writing in that these chapters are about 1000 words longer than my usual chapter fics. 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading and comments are welcome.


	13. Love and Hate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian is on the warpath after he and Blaine meet with Kurt. It is up to Blaine to calm him down. Fortunately, he had plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is rated M for reasons that don’t involve Fight Club (wink, wink), but there are threats of violence.
> 
> Tags have been updated.

“I’m going to fucking kill him B. When I get back from Paris, you and I are spending all of our spare time down in the Out Building and you are teaching me to fight. Not box, fight, and then I am going to fucking kill Hummel with…my…bare…hands!”

Blaine kept his eyes on the road and let Sebastian rant. Considering the things that Kurt said and the demands that he made, it was amazing that one or both of them weren’t in jail “Bas you don’t want to do that. You’re too pretty to go to prison.”

“B…”

“Don’t think that I haven’t noticed that in this moment you have started referring to me a B and not Killer” Blaine joked, as he continued to try and lighten the mood “Do you want me to call my Uncle…”

“Could you really do that?” Sebastian practically whispered “Does your Uncle have people that do things…”

“Bas! Stop! I was kidding” Blaine interrupted that train of thought before it got out of hand. Although? “There is not a thing we can do about Kurt until after we all get back from break. Even he said as much.” Thankfully they had arrived at Blaine’s house, so he pulled into the driveway and parked the truck “Come on. You can hatch more murder plots after we are inside.” Once they were in there, he hoped that Sebastian would notice what he had set up.

That didn’t happen so Blaine had to go with Plan B.

“Bas” Blaine got his attention while at the same time taking his hands so he would stay in place “Close your eyes.”

“B…”

“Close…your…eyes.” This time Blaine’s tone left no doubt that Sebastian should do as he was told, although he did manage to get an eye roll in before he closed them “Now, tell me what do you hear?”

“I don’t hear anything.”

“Or anyone?”

Sebastian opened his eyes and looked around before focusing on his smiling (like a Cheshire Cat) boyfriend “Are we alone?”

“Why yes, we are alone” Blaine answered with a mocking tone, ecstatic that Sebastian had finally calmed down enough as to not ruin what he had planned “And will be for the rest of the night. You see, my wonderful parents are at the Governor’s Holiday Ball and decided to get a room at the hotel so they could partake in the festivities as they wished. They will not be back until around noon tomorrow, just in time to finish baking cookies, then turn back around to take you to the airport and then finally take the jet to Detroit.”

“Why would your parents go to all that trouble…Oh my God! They’re staying at a hotel so we can have sex!”

“I did not say that” Blaine answered, trying not to laugh at the expression on Sebastian’s face “I may have told them that we hadn’t had any alone time lately. And I may have said how sad I was that tomorrow you are flying to Paris for 17 days and we wouldn’t have any time to celebrate Christmas together.”

“You totally tricked your parents so we could have sex. You are the best boyfriend ever!”

Blaine let go of one hand, but tightened his hold on the other and began to lead Sebastian upstairs “No, I’m pretty sure I didn’t trick them. They know exactly what’s going on.”

“Then my boyfriend has the best parents ever!” They both laughingly agreed to that statement and continued the laughter until they were outside of Blaine’s bedroom door.

“Close your eyes” Blaine requested for the second time that evening, and Sebastian complied but with an eye roll for the second time as well. Blaine led him into the room, then let go of his hand and told him to wait. After what seemed like 10 minutes, but was only 3…“Open your eyes Bas.”

Sebastian looked around the room in amazement. There were lit candles all around, but the main source of lighting was a Christmas tree that stood in the center of the room. Surrounding the tree were throw pillows and blankets and other things that needed explanation “Are those the gifts I got for you?”

Blaine couldn’t wipe the smile from his face as it looked like all of the planning that had gone into Sebastian’s surprise had paid off “I hope so. At least they are all of the presents Thad was aware of.”

“How? I mean…how?”

“Let’s sit down and I’ll explain everything” Blaine took Sebastian’s hand yet again and this time led him to the pillows on the floor in front of the tree. “So, you were really surprised?” he asked once they were seated.

“Absolutely! But again, how did you manage to get all of this done?”

“With a lot of help, but the room? Let’s just say your rants made this a lot easier.”

Sebastian’s expression went blank “Please tell me Hummel had nothing to do with this.”

“Oh god, no. I’m so sorry for making you think that. What I’m saying was that since you were so busy plotting Kurt’s death, you didn’t say a word when I suddenly had to stop at the McDonald’s 10 minutes from my house because I needed to use the restroom. I was really calling Jeff to say we were 10 minutes out. Then you didn’t notice that I circled my block twice so Jeff had a chance to escape. Oh, by the way, I didn’t text my parents that we were on our way home, I texted…”

“You texted Jeff” Sebastian finished “Jeff did all of this?”

“No, I had everything set up. He just had to bring the presents and your bags which Thad gave him, then light the candles and turn on the tree.”

“Why did I have to keep my eyes shut?”

“The blankets and pillows were in my closet. He didn’t need to know everything that was going on” Blaine answered with an eyebrow wiggle that caused Sebastian to laugh.

“I love you so much. I can’t believe you did all of this for me.”

Once Sebastian said that, he stopped laughing. He really couldn’t believe that Blaine had done all of this, just to make him happy. Blaine may have said that his return to Dalton was about saving himself but Sebastian knew that in doing so, Blaine had ruined him. Ruined him in that no other man ever stood a chance of Sebastian loving him the way he loved Blaine. All of his earlier anger toward Kurt came rushing back, but he was quick to put a stop to it. There was no way he was letting that son-of-a-bitch spoil this.

“I love you too, Bas. Are you ok?”

“I’m great” Sebastian told him while he reached over and brushed some loose curls back from Blaine’s face “I’m just amazed by the way your beautiful eyes dance due to the candles and Christmas lights.”

The compliment had Blaine catch his breath “Oh, wow. May I say that you are pretty stunning in this lighting as well?”

“Thank you, B. Now, what’s next or are we going to sit here all evening and tell each other how gorgeous we are?”

Blaine sat up on his knees, then crawled over and trapped Sebastian’s hands on the floor under his. The position was a bit awkward but Sebastian soon forgot about it when Blaine kissed him. The kiss was soft and sweet but that soon changed when Sebastian felt his boyfriend’s tongue slide across his bottom lip. He tried to help out by leaning in a little closer only to realize that amount of body weight Blaine was holding his hands down with had left his entire upper body immobilized. The only thing he could do was to try and suck Blaine’s tongue further into his mouth, pulling him closer. It was agonizingly sloppy, but so, so hot and then over too soon when Blaine pulled away and announced “Present time!”

Sebastian flopped back onto the pillows, let out rather loud groan (which he could because they were alone) and tried to remind himself of all of the wonderful thoughts he had just had about his tease of a boyfriend. Blaine grabbed his arms and pulled him back up before saying “I see that we each broke the one gift rule.”

“Yes, but my second gift is actually a second part of the first gift” Sebastian informed him, but that was kind of a lie. While they were similar, they were not parts of a whole. Hopefully Blaine wouldn’t feel the need to punish him. On the other hand…

“Ok, mine are pretty much that as well. Now, since I have been a very good boy I want my presents first.”

Sebastian shook his head but handed over the first gift, hoping Blaine would understand the meaning behind it. For inside the box was two leather wrist cuffs “Bas, these are beautiful.”

“Actually, this one is yours” Sebastian picked up the cuff nearest to Blaine to show him an inscription on the inside “The other is mine.”

“It says _I’m In_ ” Blaine smiled knowing that was the phrase they had each used to tell the other that they were ready for a relationship.

“When I told you _I’m In_ , I said that I loved every side of you. I thought that maybe you could wear this when you fight since you always wear gloves that would cover it. It would be a reminder that I’m there supporting you, even though you’re punching in someone’s face.”

“And you would be wearing yours?” Sebastian nodded then reached over and handed Blaine his other gift. After opening it, Blaine let out a small gasp. While the cuffs were beautiful, this was breathtaking.

“Bas, this is too much.”

Sebastian pulled the sterling silver link ID bracelet from the box and put it on Blaine’s wrist “This is for when you’re not fighting. I know it’s kind of possessive of me to give you something like this because I know you know that we belong to each other. It’s just...it’s hard to explain,” He paused for just a moment to make sure he said this the way he wanted to “B, I see how other guys, and girls, look at you. I want them all aware that you are mine. Is that bad?”

“No, I get it” Blaine responded but never took his eyes off of his wrist. When he turned the ID plate over he noticed that it had an inscription like the cuff. An inscription that made him smile for a lot of reasons “It says _You+Me_.”

“ _You+Me, we belong together. Just like the breath needs the air_.” Sebastian sang to him.

Blaine began to laugh, smile and cry all at the same time. He leaned over, gave Sebastian a kiss and then handed him the first of his two presents. When Sebastian opened the gift and saw what it was, he began to do all three as well “Is this what I think it is?”

“If you think that is _You+Me_ sheet music written as a duet, then yes, it is exactly what you think. I can’t believe our gifts to each other fit so well together.”

Sebastian put the sheet music back in its box and then wiped his eyes before saying “Well, you do have one last gift to give me. Don’t know how you’re going to top the last one, B.”

“Is that a challenge?” Blaine gave his best _Sebastian_ smirk as he handed over the other box. When Sebastian opened it, then pulled a handkerchief off from on top of the present, his response was less than enthusiastic. Just as Blaine had predicted it would be.

“An I-Pod, I love it.”

“You are such a liar. Open the play list.” Blaine sat back and waited for the second response. Again, just as he had predicted.

“Are these…? Did you sing…? How?” If these songs were what Sebastian thought they were, then saying he was blown away came nowhere close to how he felt.

“Ok, let me explain and then you can ask questions. So, you know how my roommate Doug is this computer genius and I had him pull up videos of our performances? (nod) He was able to pull the music from those and clean up the sound. The quality is amazing. I showed this to my parents and convinced them to get me a computer that Doug recommended, plus better recording equipment and a mixing board as an early Christmas present.”

“Doug did this? By the way, is he ok? He’s been acting stranger than normal lately.”

“I think so. I know he wasn’t looking forward to break since he really doesn’t like his older brother. I should check on him after everything he did for this” Blaine really was worried about his roommate, but not enough to continue that line of conversation “Now, look at the songs and ask any questions you might have.”

Sebastian went down the song list in order “Why two versions of _Smooth Criminal_?”

“Ever since we performed it at Sectionals, a certain Latina has texted me pretty much every day to tell me the two of you sounded better. So, I told her to put up or shut up. Yes, I was that stupid. Anyway, I had her sing my part and we mixed it in with your vocal. I hate to admit that she may have been right.”

“Never” Sebastian kissed him before going back to the song list. He had a lot of questions about what he saw, but he could ask those later. All he really cared about was that _You+Me_ was there. Then he noticed something else. “What’s _Mirrors_? Oh my god, Blaine, did you write me another song?”

Blaine got up, went to his closet and came back with his acoustic “You tell me.”

_Aren't you something to admire, 'cause your shine is something like a mirror_  
_And I can't help but notice, you reflect in this heart of mine_  
_If you ever feel alone and the glare makes me hard to find_  
_Just know that I'm always parallel on the other side_

_'Cause with your hand in my hand and a pocket full of soul_  
_I can tell you there's no place we couldn't go_  
_Just put your hand on the glass, I'm here trying to pull you through_  
_You just gotta be strong_

_'Cause I don't wanna lose you now_  
_I'm looking right at the other half of me_  
_The vacancy that sat in my heart_  
_Is a space that now you hold_

_Show me how to fight for now_  
_And I'll tell you, baby, it was easy_  
_Coming back into you once I figured it out_  
_You were right here all along_

_It's like you're my mirror_  
_My mirror staring back at me_  
_I couldn't get any bigger_  
_With anyone else beside of me_  
_And now it's clear as this promise_  
_That we're making two reflections into one_

_'Cause it's like you're my mirror_  
_My mirror staring back at me, staring back at me_

By the time the song was finished, Sebastian figured out what the handkerchief was for since he had turned into a blubbering mess. Blaine took the guitar over and put it on a stand, but when he came back asked “I take it that I met the challenge and topped the first gift?”

Sebastian didn’t say a word. Instead he practically lunged over and attached his lips to Blaine’s, pushing him down against the pillows in the process. Surprisingly, the kiss was controlled while still being loving as well as passionate at the same time. It also went on for quite some time and only ended when Sebastian started moving his lips down Blaine’s neck.

“Bas” Blaine was able to say despite the state that his body was in “As understanding as my parents are, I don’t think they would appreciate me having a neck full of bite marks when I’m going to see my grandparents in a couple of days.” Sebastian nodded and continued to make his way down Blaine’s body but this time with soft kisses. Blaine wasn’t a fan of the change “That doesn’t mean you can’t leave them in other places.”

In order for that to happen, clothes had to be shed which happened rather quickly. With everything going on in their lives, and the fact that they had roommates, they hadn’t been naked together in what seemed like forever. Because of this, time was taken to just touch each other. Sliding hands down backs and sides. Outlining abs and the Vs that both of their lower bodies were blessed with. Caressing pecs and asses. Finally, Blaine reached out and took both of them into his hand, eliciting the first loud moan from Sebastian of the evening.

“Fuck B, that feels amazing, but I’d really like to have you in my mouth right now.”

“Be my guest.”

The instant Blaine freed them, was the instant Sebastian moved down his boyfriend’s body. He wanted to take his time. To swirl his tongue around the tip and then run it along the vein on the underside. Then kiss down the shaft and play with the balls for a while, which he knew was a favorite of Blaine’s. He had barely started when he felt hands in his hair. Since the beginning, he had loved what it did to him when Blaine pulled just a little too tight, but this time it was tighter. Blaine was pulling back up to him.

“What’s wrong?” Sebastian asked once they were face to face again.

“Nothing, it was too right.” Blaine kissed him the reached behind a pillow and pulled out the condom and lube he had obviously placed there earlier “Make love to me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Completely. I love you so much Sebastian.”

“I love you too Blaine. More than I ever thought possible.”

It felt like only moments later that Sebastian found himself three fingers deep inside of Blaine, silently thanking his boyfriend for all of the denial games they play. If he hadn’t built up stamina, this would have been over long ago.

“Bas, please” Blaine moaned for him “I’m ready. I promise you I’m ready.”

He didn’t know if it was entering Blaine for the first time or the erotic sound of Blaine’s moans and pleads but the intoxicating combination brought out Sebastian’s inner caveman “Mine. You belong to me.”

“Bas…please…more”

He pinned Blaine’s hands above his head as he continued to move further and further inside. When he was finally fully buried, he stopped and stared at the sight below him. He knew he had thought this before, but in that moment, Blaine was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. As he finally started to move, the inner caveman came back and for once he was allowed to express how he felt as loud as he wanted to “You and Me. You are mine. Mine. Do you hear me? We fit together like this. We belong together. You and me. Fuck Blaine! You are so beautiful, and the sounds you make…Fuck, you have no idea what you do to me.”

The diatribe continued, only stopping when for once he got to deny Blaine’s orgasm as he had found his now lover’s prostate and had no problems abusing it. This was by far the best sex Sebastian had ever had, but it wasn’t about to last much longer.

“Come for me Blaine. Come for me.” Almost instantaneously cum was shooting everywhere. Blaine called out Sebastian’s name, along with several _fucks_ and _Oh Gods_ , as he rode out his orgasm. Between the sight below him and the clutching around him, Sebastian followed only moments later. When that happened, Blaine realized how happy he was that the house was on a 2 acre lot as not to disturb the neighbors.

Of course, Blaine had thought ahead to have towels and wipes to clean themselves up at the ready. Soon they were cuddled together next to the tree, throw pillows and blankets substituting for a bed. They were quiet for quite a while, basking in the direction their relationship had just taken. However, each of them knew they should say something before they fell asleep.

“B, that was…”

“Amazing?”

“It was so far past amazing. It was perfect.” Sebastian told Blaine as he pulled him even closer “Your parents won’t be back until noon, right?”

“Yeah, but everyone else will be here at 10 for the Cookie Bake. You do realize that even though I love you, my attention will be on Duval to make sure he keeps his grimy hands off of my baby cousin?”

“Fine, then I expect a lot of personal attention before everyone gets here.”

Blaine didn’t have to see his boyfriend’s eyebrow wiggle to understand what he was implying. He rolled over and sat up, earning him a groan and grabby hands attempting to pull him back down “Bas stop and listen. I’m going to go downstairs, stop whining, and pull everything we’ll need in the morning so we can spend some extra time up here.”

“Let me help.”

“No, I know where everything is so it will be faster. You stay here, blow out the candles and get into bed. I won’t be long.”

Sebastian tried to protest, but a huge yawn gave away how tired he was “Promise you won’t be long.”

“Definitely, and if you need to fall asleep that’s ok. But understand, when I get back I expect to be able to cuddle in and be spooned.”

“Absolutely, I take my role of the big spoon very seriously.”

It took a few minutes for Blaine to actually leave the room since it takes time for more kisses and to put some underwear and lounge pants on. By the time he left, he was pretty sure that Sebastian would fall asleep which was a good thing. He was going to be much longer than he had let on. He may have spent most of the evening convincing Sebastian to let go of everything that happened with Kurt, but that sure as hell didn’t mean he had to.

He made his way down to the entryway to grab his phone (which Sebastian didn’t see him leave since his eyes were shut). The two of the three people he had texted during his impromptu stop at McDonalds had texted back and told him to call when he could. There was no doubt who he would call first.

_**Hello, Uncle Robert, I need a favor…** _

The call to his Uncle took almost an hour. He debated about making the second call, but decided to go ahead.

_**Hello, Puck. Sorry it’s so late. Are you able to do what I asked?...Did you talk to?...Yeah, are you ok with that?...And you know the address?...Great, I’ll see you tomorrow night at about 8. Oh, I need one more favor.** _

_**I need to know where I can find Dave Karofsky.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was my first attempt at Seblaine smut. Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. 
> 
> Thank you to everyone for reading. At this time, the fact that I have almost 100 Kudos is making my little writer heart burst with joy. Again, thank you all so much. 
> 
> Mirrors: Fauntleroy, Jerome; Godbey, Chris; Harmon, Jerome; Mosely, Garland; Mosely, Timothy; Timberlake, Justin 2013
> 
> .


	14. 12 Hours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine is willing to do anything he has to do to protect the boy he loves, even if he has to go against everything he believes in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phone calls in Bold Italics. Text/chats/and two lines of song lyrics in Italics (You’ll be able to tell what’s what).

** Sunday 2PM **

“Oh my God! Bas, go take a shower. My parents are taking you to the airport in an hour.”

“I’m going. I’m going.” Sebastian said before kissing Blaine with his frosting covered lips, again. When he pulled away, he noticed Sugar and Nick talking to Blaine’s parents…and they were holding hands “B, I’m surprised you’re so calm about Sugar and Nick. Who are you and what have you done with my boyfriend?”

“I’m right here.” Blaine sighed “You know I love Nick as a brother, and maybe I have been a little overprotective of Sugar” When Sebastian snickered, he smacked his shoulder “Ok, a lot overprotective. They’re going on a double date with Thad and Kitty to the movies. She’ll be fine.”

“So, that means your Uncle is sending someone to spy on them. Am I right?”

“No, that means I gave Kitty a hundred bucks to tell me if Nick tries to pull something. After Uncle Rob _accidently_ got Rory sent back to Ireland, we decided it would be best if I was the one to keep an eye on Sugar’s love life.”

An hour later, Blaine and Sebastian stood off to the side of the entryway while the driver put the bags in the car. Blaine’s parents attempted to give them some privacy, but Mrs. Anderson thought they looked so cute with their hands clasped and foreheads pressed together that she couldn’t help but occasionally glance over.

Hey, at least she wasn’t taking pictures.

“17 days” Blaine pouted.

“Yes, I’ll be gone for 17 days, but I’ll be back to kiss you at midnight on New Year’s Eve.” Sebastian leaned down for a kiss. He kept it pretty chaste considering the Andersons were nearby “I had a lot of fun today.”

“And not last night?”

“I already told you how much I enjoyed last night. I was talking about the Cookie Bake and, you know… _Before_.”

Blaine looked for his parents, and when he saw they weren’t close, he walked up to Sebastian’s ear and spoke to him in that tone he loved (and hated) so much “You mean when I tied you to my headboard and did all sorts of dirty, dirty things to you?”

Sebastian nodded emphatically as he had more than enjoyed taking their little game to the next level. He had so many wonderful images to take with him to Paris. And when he said images he meant that he needed to make sure no one saw his phone “Yes, and the other thing.”

“You liked me spanking that amazing ass of yours, didn’t you? You naughty boy, don’t think for a moment that I didn’t figure out the real reason you bought us cuffs for Christmas.”

Fortunately, before Sebastian started to answer, they both noticed that Blaine’s mom was walking over to them. This was definitely not a conversation she needed to hear “Sebastian dear, it’s time to go. Blaine, are you sure you know what to do for Sam’s surprise?”

“Yes, I’ve got it. Plus, Puck is back in Lima and I asked him to give me a hand.”

“Good” Mrs. Anderson looked back and forth between her son and his boyfriend and determined they needed another minute. She gave Blaine a kiss on the cheek “I’ll see you Wednesday. Now Sebastian, one last kiss and then we really do have to go.” She gave him a wink and added “I’ll get my husband out of here so you can make it a good one.”

“You know, I love your parents, don’t you?” Sebastian asked once Blaine’s mom had walked away.

“They are great, aren’t they?” Blaine refused to let the tears he was holding back fall. He knew if they started they wouldn’t stop “I’m going to miss you so much, Bas. We just found each other again, but I don’t remember me without you.”

“That’s because you have just started being you again. I’m so glad that I have been able to be with you on your journey to save yourself.” They both laughed at Sebastian using Blaine’s description for the changes he had made in his life “You know you saved me too. _The vacancy that sat in my heart, is a space that now you hold_.”

“You like singing songs I wrote for you back to me. Don’t you?”

“Absolutely” Sebastian answered with a peck on the lips “So, how about you give me a real kiss before your dad walks in on us again.”

They actually got in three kisses before Mr. Anderson came and got Sebastian. Blaine walked him out to the limo and stood in the driveway to wave goodbye. The moment the car was out of sight, it was like a switch flipped inside of him. He had a lot to accomplish in just two days.

After making a series of phone calls, he looked at the clock and knew he had to get in the shower. Unfortunately, there was one more call he needed to make first.

_**Well, hello darling** _

_**Cut the crap, Kurt** _

_**Is that anyway to talk to your boyfriend?** _

_**You’re not my boyfriend** _

_**Yet** _

_**Go to hell!** _

The call didn’t take long and Blaine was able to shower, change and pack an overnight bag in under a half hour. Thank god, he didn’t gel his hair anymore. When he went downstairs he was extremely anxious to get his plan in motion, but received a text from the limo driver that his guest’s plane had just landed. Since he had to wait he got his guitar and began to play. It always helped to calm his nerves.

_I dreamed a dream of time gone by…_

As if she knew he needed a pick-me-up, Sugar sent him a text stating that the movie had finished and that she, Kitty, Thad and Nick were ready. Earlier at the Cookie Bake, Kitty was informed of Blaine and Sugar’s relationship since everyone else there knew and it was too hard not to say anything. When asked why they didn’t just tell everyone, Blaine went and made a call to his uncle. His biggest concern had been that his uncle’s name could be associated with the betting at Fight Club if it was ever discovered. After he was assured for probably the tenth time that it wouldn’t be a problem, Blaine agreed that they should do it. He was actually relieved because it would make his plan to stop Kurt much easier.

Since Dalton had released for the holidays, he said he’d tell the guys that didn’t know later. McKinley was another story as they were still in school until Wednesday. It was actually Kitty that had the idea of how they could tell everyone with just one text.

_From Blaine: Hey Tina. I forget, did Sugar and I tell you that we are cousins? Oops, sorry got to go._

_From Tina: WTF?!?!_

Yeah, that should do it.

He had 15 new texts and 8 missed (technically ignored) calls by the time the limo arrived 15 minutes later. When he went to greet it, he found the driver holding open the door while his guest got out of the backseat, waving her phone.

“Please tell me it’s true. Please say that the Acapella Dreamboat and Miss I Can’t Carry a Tune in a Bucket are related.”

Blaine took her arm and led her toward the house “Well, that didn’t take long and hello to you too, Santana. Yes, Sugar is my baby cousin who I love more than any of the other members of my family except for my parents, and some days that’s in question. So, no more nicknames for her unless they are as sweet as she is.” They stopped at the door and he kissed her cheek “Now, go in and make yourself comfortable while I take care of the driver.”

“Ok, but this is far from over.”

Once she went in, Blaine had her bags put by the door. He didn’t need them brought in any further since they wouldn’t be there long.  
He and Santana had known each other for a while, but had only just started to be friends. This was going to be a lot to ask. It scared him how much he needed her. “Thanks for doing this Santana. Did you have any problems?” he asked as he sat down next to her on the sofa.

“Let’s see. You offered to fly me home first class and send a limo to pick me up, if I agreed to fly back a day early and tell no one about it. No, no problems but that doesn’t mean I’m not as intrigued as hell in what you’re up to Frodo.” The more she looked at him the more she realized that she had never seen this Blaine before. He was focused, intense and his eyes didn’t dance like every time she had seen them since he and Sebastian got together “Blaine, what’s going on?”

Since the moment she had agreed to meet with him, Blaine had thought about how he was going to do this. Tell her things without telling her things. In the end, he decided to go with a modified version of the speech he gave Puck before he told him about Fight Club “Santana, I have some things I would like to talk with you about. However, if I do, you won’t be able to tell anyone, including Brittany. You would have to keep secrets from your girlfriend. I know that’s a lot to ask before I give you any actual information, but it has to be this way. Please understand that you can say no and there will absolutely be no hard feelings.”

If she thought she had been intrigued before, she couldn’t explain what she was feeling now “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

“Completely.”

“Of course, Blaine. I’ll keep your secret, but what about Sam or Seb…?”

“Santana, neither Sam or Bas can know, no one can. Well, there is one other person who I’m going to bring in.”

“Who?”

“Puck.”

Other than Kurt or Finn, that was probably the last name she expected. Although, Puck did spend part of Thanksgiving with the Andersons

“Ok, what’s all this about?”

“Kurt is blackmailing me. He has information about me, Bas and our friends at Dalton. But, what Bas doesn’t know is that Kurt also has information about him and his family. The kind of information that people don’t come back from. It’s that bad.”

“That son-of-a…”

Blaine held up his hand to stop her before she started ranting about Kurt. They didn’t have that much time before they had to leave. “Yes, Kurt is a son-of-a-bitch, and I promise at some point you can go all Lima Heights on his ass, but I need your help first. Dave Karofsky told Kurt something that he had sworn to not talk about. He knew there would be consequences if he did and he is going to pay, trust me. Kurt took that information to someone else who was able to find the information Kurt is blackmailing me with. I _convinced (cough)_ Dave to give me the guy’s name.”

“How the hell did you do that?” She laughed at the look on his face “You have obviously been taking smirking lessons from your boyfriend.”

“You have no idea.”

_**How the hell did you get my number Anderson?** _

_**Oh, please. Like it was a challenge? Don’t you remember? I’m dangerous and a liar. Not at all who I pretend to be. At least that’s what you told Kurt. Remember?** _

_**Where did you hear that?** _

_**From Kurt, of course. He told me that’s how you described the quote real Blaine when you told him about what you knew.** _

_**He wouldn’t…** _

_**Oh, but he did. Now, here’s what’s going to happen. You knew the rules about telling anyone and that there were consequences for breaking them. Since everyone else is away on break, I decided to take care of your consequences myself.** _

_**What are you going to do? Come beat me up?** _

_**No, when I fight I like a challenge. Anyway, I’m going to be magnanimous and give you a choice. Consequence A will be painful, but quick. Consequence B will be personal as in I will personally destroy you and whatever you love the most, and I promise that it will not be quick. Pick one.** _

_**You’re not serious.** _

_**Try me asshole.** _

_**What do you want for A?** _

_**A name.** _

Blaine turned off the recording before any sensitive information was revealed “You still with me?”

“So, you did the same thing to Dave that Kurt is doing to you?” Santana tried to sound offended, but she was actually kind of impressed.

“No, I gave Dave a choice and he chose wisely. Kurt is not giving me a choice. There’s a difference.”

She couldn’t hide how she felt any longer “Damn, that’s cold Hobbit, but why the fuck does Dave think you can beat him up?”

Oops! “You caught that, huh? You get to find out if you agree to help me.”

“Are you kidding me? Sign me up! Plus, I wouldn’t want you to have to beat…”

Blaine didn’t like it that she had stopped midsentence “Stop staring at me like that. It’s creepy.”

“No, no, no. I know you…”

“Santana, stop. Now is not the time.”

“As Mercedes would say, _Oh, hell to the no_. I want to…” the look on Blaine’s face immediately let her know that it was in her best interest to drop it for now “Where are we going?”

“We’re meeting Puck at Sugar’s” he informed her “Now Santana, I’m going to say this one more time. You can say no to all of this. I will drive you home and you can surprise your parents. If you want to stay you are going to have to trust me.”

She did. For some inexplicable reason she trusted him, but had no idea why he trusted her. “Fine, but on the way there you are explaining to me how you were able to hide the whole cousin thing from everyone.”

“Santana, I think you’re going to find that was the easiest secret I’ve had to keep.”

Puck hadn’t arrived when they got to the Motta’s, so Sugar shared the group chat the New New Directions were having about Blaine’s text to Tina. Or as she liked to call it “The Crazy”

_To New New Directions Group/ From Tina: Sugar? What the hell? Blaine is your cousin?_

_From Sugar: Yes, Blainey is my cousin. You didn’t know?_

_From Kitty: I knew. We were at Blaine’s house today baking Christmas cookies_

_From Sam: It was a secret? ;)_

_From Brittany: Lord Tubbington knew_

_From Tina: WTF?!?! How didn’t I know?_

_From Unique: I don’t know girl. I thought you knew everything there was to know about that Bootylicious boy. Or maybe you were too busy just staring at his booty_

_From Marley: Unique has a point_

_From Joe: Marley has a point_

_From Artie: Is this why Blaine always gave me the stink eye when I talked about dating Sugar?_

_From Sugar: Who do you think told me to say that you and I should go horseback riding?_

_From Ryder: Artie, dude BUUURRRRNNNN. And I didn’t know_

_From Jake: What Ryder said_

_From Kurt: Of course, I knew. Blaine and I don’t keep secrets from each other_

_From Sam: Yeah Kurt, like you told him about the tape you gave back to Sebastian. Not! And get off our chat! Seblaine forever!_

Puck arrived about 10 minutes later and Blaine took him and Santana to his uncle’s study. First, they discussed Puck’s view on the news of the day, to which he quickly apologized for once referring to Sugar as a “hot piece of ass”.

The three of them spent the next 20 minutes talking in circles until Blaine finally decided to just let things go. He told them everything that had anything to do with what was happening with Kurt, except what Kurt had on Sebastian. He could only hope the guys would forgive him one day.

“876,512 dollars?” Puck stuttered out “876,512 dollars?”

“Yup.”

Since Puck had gone into a stupor where he could only mutter “876,512 dollars” over and over again, the other two carried on the conversation without him “Ok, I get why Hummel would want you back…”

“Thank you” Blaine gave her a wink.

“Not my type Frodo, but why would he want the money?”

“It’s 876,512 dollars, Lopez!” Ok, Puck was back.

“Actually, I don’t think Kurt wants the money.”

“Are you fucking insane?! It’s 8…”

Puck’s rant was stopped by a knock at the door and Blaine’s uncle making himself known “Santana, Noah this is my Uncle Alphonso Robert Motta the Third. Uncle Rob, these are my friends Santana and Noah.”

“Why the full name Blaine Devon Anderson?” Robert asked.

“Practicing for Tuesday. I can’t believe no one caught on to our relationship earlier when I keep forgetting to call you Al in public.”

“Yes, you definitely need to get that right on Tuesday. So, sorry about my manners, Noah it’s nice to meet you and Santana, I believe you were in the TroubleTones with my baby girl.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you for doing that. I had a lot of fun.”

“You’re welcome and it’s Robert, not sir. I didn’t mean to disturb you but Blaine I have what you asked for. Santana, Blaine said that you are staying the night so you can surprise your parents tomorrow. The guest room across from Blaine’s is ready for you and just ask him if you need anything. Blaine, the guys will be there about 10AM. Is that good?” Blaine gave him a nod and then Robert reached into his pocket and handed Blaine a gift wrapped box “Merry Christmas from me and Sug.”

After Blaine opened the box his face lit up, well like a Christmas tree “You didn’t? Oh my god, you did! My mother is going to fucking kill you!”

“At least now she’ll have a reason.”

“I only needed it for the day.”

“I know but you practically drooled when you saw it, so I had to get it. I did borrow the one for Noah, so his goes back. Now, if you all will excuse me, I’m going to say good night.”

The door had barely closed when Puck was out of his seat “What was he talking about Anderson?”

Blaine tried to tamper down his reaction. Puck was going to lose his fucking mind “Come with me. It’s better if I show you.”

Both Puck and Santana knew when they reached their destination that they were standing in front of a door that led to the garage. When Blaine opened it and turned on the lights, it was obvious what he and his uncle had been talking about.

“Are those…?” Santana began to ask.

“Are those two brand new Harley Davidsons? Why, yes. Yes, they are.” Blaine was able to answer, even though Puck almost knocked him over to get to them “Puck? Are you ok?”

“They’re so pretty” Puck whispered as he kept pulling his hands back as not to touch.

Santana just shook her head as her ex had been turned into a puddle of goo “You have a new truck Richboy, which by the way is your new name. Why did you need these?”

“Because the house isn’t that far from McKinley and Sam would recognize it. Puck and I will be hiding in plain sight. Plus, it’s fun.” When neither of his friends responded, Blaine realized the problem and had to laugh at himself “Would it help if I told you that Sam’s family is moving back to Lima and that Puck and I need to be at their new house tomorrow because my mom is having some stuff delivered?”

“So that’s what we’re doing? Since you had asked me how to find him, I thought we were going to go scare the shit out of Karofsky” Puck laughed as if it was a joke, but it was actually what he had believed “Why hasn’t Evans said anything?”

“Because he doesn’t know.” Blaine explained “His parents are telling him when we’re all in Aspen. That’s why he can’t see us, and you can’t tell him.”

“Makes sense, although I still want to know what consequences you have planned for Karofsky.”

Blaine tried not to smile too widely “Don’t worry, you’ll know soon enough.”

An hour later, Puck was gone and Blaine was showing Santana to the guest room when she asked him to come in so they could talk.

“Is this the point where you tell me you want out?” Blaine asked.

“It depends. I need you to answer a question first.”

That was not what Blaine expected “Ok, ask.”

“Why do I know you?” she asked then went over and sat on the bed, patting the area next to her until he got the hint.

“Because Puck sent Kurt to spy on the Warblers?”

“You know that’s not what I’m talking about. I could understand knowing the you from the last two years, Blaine Warbler then Hummel’s accessory boyfriend.” Blaine was going to protest, but she had a point. “This you, I shouldn’t know. The you with the insanely wealthy family and connections to some of the most influential people in the country, if not world. I still can’t believe you got Kurt the job at Vogue.com.”

“I still can’t believe people think he got a job at Vogue.com from a few photos of his outfits from high school, a personal blog on Project Runway and a hippo broach.” They both laughed at that because once it was said out loud, it really was ridiculous. “Turned out that wasn’t the smartest thing I ever did. Am I going to have the same problem with you?”

“Hell no! You just didn’t get me an internship, you got me a job. Well, you got me both, but you know what I mean.”

“I do, but you realize it wasn’t out of the kindness of my heart. You’re doing something for me too.”

“I know. I’ll figure out what that Travis guy is really up to and how he found all that shit he told Kurt. But Blaine, you never answered my question. How do I know you?”

Blaine got up off the bed and headed to the door. He turned around once he was in the doorway and answered “I promise someday I’ll tell you, but it’s been a long day. I will tell you that it’s not as interesting as you may think. A lot of it comes from misunderstandings between a scared, but stubborn 14 year-old boy that had just come out to his parents and his parents who were given bad advice on how to “deal with” him. So, are you still in?”

If there was someone who could understand what Blaine was referring to, it was Santana “I’m still in.”

“Goodnight, Santana.”

“Goodnight, Richboy.”

**2AM Monday Morning**

Blaine was finally in bed. He reached for his phone and pulled up pictures from the Christmas Cookie Bake. His favorite was one that Sugar took of him and Sebastian kissing while covered flour. Or maybe it was the one of him smearing frosting on Sebastian’s nose. He kept flipping through the photos until he found one he didn’t remember taking. It was Sebastian, still covered in flour, but laughing. He was so happy…carefree…beautiful.

“I love you so much Bas, and I’m never going to that asshole hurt you. No matter what I have to do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to update, but I was buried deep in Seblaine Week. I kept trying to work on this as well, but every time I went back I found what I had written before was total crap. 
> 
> Yes, I used I Dreamed A Dream here, but I did in Chapter 8 New Questions as well. I have always loved Darren’s version of the song and have written it into several stories when people “discover” that Blaine plays the guitar.
> 
> A lovely reader pointed out that Sugar’s dad’s name was Al. I was very disappointed for not finding the information myself. My little OCD heart didn’t know what I was going to do until I found the solution in my own family where we have a Sr., Jr. & the Third. All of them use some version of the name, so now Blaine’s uncle will be Robert personally and Al professionally, when Blaine remembers (Hummm? Could that mean something?).


	15. A Very Busy Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine knew he had a lot to do before he meets his parents in Detroit, but this is ridiculous. At least it gives him less time to miss Sebastian, or does it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter may be rated a little than M for references to a suicide attempt and implied violence as well as other things ;)  
> Warning: Implied D/S overtones

Blaine inhaled deeply as he awoke. When he stretched, his left arm hit something and a smile came to his face when he opened his eyes and saw what it was.

“Good morning, Beautiful.”

“Good morning, Sir.” Sebastian responded. He sitting on the bed next to Blaine, on his knees with his hands folded in front of him. Just the way he was expected to be “Would you like me to take care of your morning erection, Sir?”

“Of course, Beautiful, but if you saw this, why did I not wake up with your mouth on my cock?”

“You did not give me permission, Sir.”

“So good for me Beautiful. Let us make a new rule that whenever we are together and you wake before I do, you have my permission to take care of my cock with either your mouth or your ass. And because you are so good for me, I will let you decide which is most appropriate. But remember, if we are at Dalton you must use silent sex. Would you like that Beautiful?”

“Thank you, Richboy. I love you so much.”

“What did you call me?”

“Richboy” suddenly it was not Sebastian’s voice that Blaine was hearing “Damn it, Anderson. Stop wanking off and let me in before I wake everyone else up!” Now Blaine was truly awake, with the same problem as in his dream plus a new one.

What the hell was he going to do with Santana’s body once he killed her?

Blaine got out of bed to let her in, not giving a shit at what she was _exposed_ to. “You are fucking lucky I have a rule about not hitting women” Blaine growled at her when he opened his bedroom door.

“Yeah, yeah, sorry, whatever” she said as she pushed past him and turned on the television in his room “I have 15 texts telling me to watch the local morning news. Something to do with Dave Karofsky. Do you have anything you would like to tell me?” It was only then that she realized he was naked “You have about three minutes before the news starts if you want to take care of that. By the way, very impressive.”

“Fuck off” Blaine grumbled as he got some sweats out of the dresser. The problem was taking care of itself, but he would really need to make sure he got some face time alone with Sebastian later.

Santana went over to the bed and deemed it “safe” to sit on “This room looks like you actually live here.”

“I still can’t believe people thought I drove back and forth to Westerville everyday so I could go to McKinley.”

“Never thought…” Santana stopped and then started to bounce on the bed when the newscast’s opening credits came on “Shut up and get over here! It’s on!”

_****Breaking News** _

_It has been reported that star Ohio State Freshman Defensive End and former Lima resident, David Karofsky tested positive for marijuana. Despite the fact that Karofsky vehemently denies ever taking the drug, he will be suspended from the team until his B sample can go through more rigorous testing. This suspension will prevent Karofsky from traveling with the team to Los Angeles as they prepare for the Rose Bowl. Ohio State officials declined to comment at this time._

Blaine took the remote from Santana and turned off the screen “Santana, I want you to memorize this term, plausible deniability.”

“I know what that means, but Blaine…”

“Listen, I was always going to tell you and Puck, but for things like this in the future, you will need plausible deniability. Understand?” She nodded, but didn’t say anything because it didn’t sound like he was finished. She was right.

“Because of what Dave went through earlier this year, and only because of that, by the next news cycle this will be cleared up as a false positive. Also, there are people watching him to make sure he doesn’t try to hurt himself.”

“You didn’t want to do this, did you?”

“Give him consequences, absolutely. Do something this public, not really but it sent a message to others as well.” The last thing he expected was for Santana to start laughing “I’m glad you find this so funny.”

“It’s not that, it’s what I was talking about last night. The you that could get something like that done in a day, I don’t know him yet. The you that felt the need to protect Karofsky from hurting himself again? That is the same Blaine Warbler that felt the need to protect Kurt from the bullies at McKinley. I’m assuming if Dave screws up again...?”

“It becomes personal and I won’t give a shit about what happens because of it.”

“You’re a complicated man, Richboy.”

“Yeah, my therapist is probably going be a very rich woman by the time I leave for college.”

A couple of hours later, Santana was home surprising her parents while Blaine was at Sam’s house with Puck, listening as his friend came down from the high of their earlier escapade.

“We pulled up right beside Finn and he didn’t even know it was us. Damn, that was funny. By the way, thanks for the new leather jacket because he most likely would have recognized mine. Between that and the helmets, I can see what you meant by hiding in plain sight.”

Blaine let him continue to ramble as he went around putting tags on the rooms. His mother had given him an outline of the house showing which bedroom belonged to what family member. It would make it easier for the movers to put the correct items in the correct rooms. It would also help his mother’s design assistants who were supposed to come in next week to set things up. Blaine couldn’t wait to find out what his Interior Designer mother thought _a few things to make their move easier_ were.

Once he returned to the living area, he noticed that Puck’s whole demeanor had changed “I just got a text from Finn. The New Directions got a pass and are competing at Regionals…Wait, why don’t you look surprised?”

Blaine just shook his head. He was trying to think of what to say since Puck didn’t have the same feelings about the New Directions Advisor as he did “Maybe because of what Mr. Schue said to me after the Warblers performed at Sectionals. Or maybe because after it was announced that the Warblers won, instead of being with his team he went and cornered a few of the Show Choir officials.”

The conversation ended as several delivery trucks arrived, followed by two work vans with several large men exiting each. Blaine gave Puck a nudge and then brought him over to two men that needed introductions “Puck, this is Mr. Sawyer, the delivery manager for my mother’s design firm and this is Dmitri, he’s the foreman for the guys here to help move everything in.”

“How did you know to get extra help, Blaine?” Mr. Sawyer asked.

“Because I know my mother and as much as I begged her not to go overboard, I knew she would.” And she did. However, two hours later everything was where it should be and all of the wiring had been finished for when the electronics were delivered next week. Everyone was gone except for Blaine and Puck who were spread out on the insanely comfortable living room furniture Mrs. Anderson ordered.

“I am visiting Evans every frickin’ day and will never leave this spot” Puck groaned “Your mom went ape-shit crazy with this stuff. You know, I really like her. Hell, I still can’t believe that football game we had at Thanksgiving where she took out Cooper.”

“She’s pretty awesome, but we have to get moving. Did you make those calls to have a celebration for the New Directions?”

“Didn’t have to. Today’s their Holiday Party. Kurt said he’d be there, but I don’t know why it was so important for him to be.” Blaine was about to explain when there was a knock at the door.

“That’s a lot of leather, Lopez” Blaine had to laugh when he opened the door and saw she had taken his description of biker chick maybe a little too literally.

“Hey, I look hot” Santana said as she pushed past him for the second time that day “Damn, is this where Trouty and his family are going to live?”

“Yes, but you’ll have to see it all later. Come on Puck, you need to take your bike back to my uncle so you can get to McKinley.”

“Fine” Puck pouted as he got up. He really loved that Harley. “I’ve got to ask, aren’t you playing with fire with your plan to let Kurt know how rich your family really is?”

“I’m not going to tell him, tell him. I’m just not going to hide it anymore. It will keep his greed focused on me, which I can handle. Like I said last night, I believe the demand for money comes from the guy in New York, but I don’t think that guy yet realizes the real money he’s dealing with or his demand would be much higher.”

“Hold up! There are Dalton boys with more money than you?”

“My money is on Richboy’s stud muffin” Santana said as she pointed at Blaine’s wrist “That silver bobble there is at worth at least 10 grand.”

“Yes, our families have money, but we don’t come close to Thad’s. His grandfather invented the microchip that was the prototype for the ones that are now in every cell phone on the planet. The family is worth billions, well tens of billions.”

Puck looked like he would faint, but Santana threw her hands in the air because why should she be surprised. Just another person she shouldn’t know “This is Kitty’s Thad we’re talking about. Am I right?”

“Absolutely, but the thing is he’s a notorious tightwad. I am dying to hear what he got her for Christmas.”

Puck left to get his truck and then Kurt so they could go to McKinley for the “announcement” of the New Directions being passed on to Regionals. While he did that, Blaine and Santana went to Hummel Tire and Lube so Blaine could talk to Burt. He was home for the holidays from Washington DC and for some reason was anxious to talk to Blaine.

As the two of them walked into the shop Blaine got a text with a picture that made him smile. It was Sebastian holding baby Isabella with the caption _She likes me_.

“That’s his sister’s kid?” Santana asked.

“Yeah, sister” Santana’s comment made Blaine see the photo in a different light. It strengthened his resolve to protect Sebastian and his family from Kurt and anyone else that could hurt them. “Come on. I want to know why Burt wanted to see me.”

Santana waited outside the office while Blaine went in and was greeted by Burt, who was taken aback by Blaine’s appearance “Did you come in on that Harley I heard?”

“Yes, it was a Christmas present from my uncle and cousin. The confused look on your face makes it pretty obvious you haven’t heard the news. Sugar Motta is my cousin which means…”

“Al Motta is your uncle” Burt said with a sense of trepidation, as he wouldn’t have guessed in a million years that Blaine was related to the alleged mobster. It probably wasn’t a good thing for him to be talking to Blaine, but he really had no other choice “So he’s...?”

“Uncle Ro..Al (Damn it! He’d have to fix that by tomorrow) was married to my Aunt Cory, my mom’s sister. She died a couple of years ago from cancer. Sugar wanted to keep our relationship secret for reasons that are her business, but she felt comfortable enough for us to share our relationship now.”

“I’m sorry Blaine.”

“I know you are.” Blaine knew that if anyone understood the impact on a child from their mother’s death, it would be Burt Hummel. “Now, why was it so urgent for you to see me?”

“I got a visit this morning from the Chair of the State Democratic Party. Evidently, he’s heard that Dalton’s former headmaster had political aspirations before he got caught up in the scandal. Then he said that there were rumors out there that I had been giving the guy tips on how to break into politics. Blaine, the only times I ever saw the guy was when I enrolled Kurt at Dalton and then when I disenrolled Kurt from Dalton. Have you heard anything?”

“No, but maybe after tomorrow I’ll know more. I’ll let you know what I can.”

“What you can?”

“Yes, what I can. Let’s just say the means by which I’d obtain any of this information won’t be exactly, shall we say, um, Kosher.”

Ten minutes later Blaine and Santana were walking out of the shop when she got a text “It’s from Puck. He and Kurt are at McKinley. Ready to crash a party?”

“Are you?”

“Yeah, I actually talked with Trouty before I flew back. We’ll be ok.”

“Good, then let’s do this!”

Meanwhile at McKinley, Mr. Schue had let the Glee Club know the good news. Most of them were celebrating, but Sam, Sugar and Kitty were off in a corner having their own discussion.

“Blaine is going to be so pissed” Sam told the girls. “The Warblers beat us fair and square.”

Kitty reached up and started tugging at her ear at the mention of the Warblers “Thad isn’t going to be much better.” She hated to admit that even though he had only left for California that morning, she missed the jerk. And it wasn’t because of the diamond stud earrings he gave her before he left.

They continued their conversation until they heard the roar of a motorcycle outside (since it had been unseasonably warm, Puck had been able to open a window without anyone noticing).

“Blainey’s here!” Sugar squealed and ran out to greet him, closely followed by everyone else. They all wondered how the sound of a motorcycle made Sugar think that Blaine was there.

Outside, Santana stared at Blaine in wonderment “I still can’t believe that you don’t have helmet hair” she said as she reached for his curls.

He swiped her hand away “Sugar found me an awesome refining serum. I’m never going back to gel again.”

“Blainey!”

“Hey, Sugar Bear, want a ride home?”

Before Blaine could even get off the bike, Sam was by his side petting it like it was a puppy “Dude. I mean…dude. This…I mean…dude.”

“Take a breath, Sammy. The Harley was my Christmas present from my uncle and my most favorite cousin in the whole world.”

Sugar folded her arms and gave him _the look_ “I’m your only cousin Blaine Devon, and I’m not ready to leave. We’re having our Holiday party.”

“That’s ok, we’re crashing” Santana told everyone as she headed for the choir room, pulling Blaine behind her. They were half way there when Blaine noticed that Kurt was now walking next to him.

“Is there something I can do for you Kurt?”

“We need to talk Blaine.”

Blaine nodded at the others as a sign for them to go on ahead. This had been his plan all along “Do we really? I have no idea what we could possibly talk about.”

“What was that stunt you pulled with Dave? Do you want me to tell everyone what I know?”

“You’re not going to do that because if you did you wouldn’t get what it is you’re truly after. I just wanted to remind you that two can play this game and I expect you to honor our Holiday truce.” Blaine knew Kurt wasn’t about to say anything while all of the Dalton boys were gone. He would want to see their suffering first hand.

“Why are you even acting like this? Look at where we are. We were right here last year when you gave me my bow-tie ring. You don’t even where bow-ties any more. You loved your bow-ties, Blaine. How could you let that Meerkat change you like this, Blaine? Seriously, leather jackets and motorcycles? You’re not a bad boy, so why are you trying to be one?”

Blaine could not rationalize how pissed off he was in that moment “Why am I acting like this? You’re blackmailing me with information that could hurt not only my friends but Sebastian. Do you really even know what would happen if you told people about Fight Club and the money? Do you realize that it would expose the connection between the former headmaster and your father?”

Whatever coloring Kurt had immediately drained from his face, letting Blaine know that he was on the right track. He had figured that if he was ever going to stop Kurt, the supposed connection between Burt and Dalton would be what did it. Now he just had to discover what that connection was.

“It doesn’t matter. I still have information that will destroy your precious Sebastian.” Kurt spat out. He tried to regain his composure, but Blaine wasn’t about to allow that to happen.

“And that is the only reason I am even talking to you at this moment, but now I’m done.” He actually wasn’t. It was time to drop a bombshell “Oh, and Kurt, just so you know, my mom bought three items off of that Elizabeth Taylor auction last year.” He left Kurt standing there and smiled when he said to himself “Let the games begin.”

Blaine went to the choir room and did celebrate the news that the New Directions would be going to Regionals. He was happy for his friends, just annoyed about how it happened. That wasn’t their fault.

It wasn’t that much longer before Sugar was saying her goodbyes. While she did that, Sam came over and gave Blaine a hug “I guess I’ll see you in a few days in Aspen. Damn, I love saying that.”

“Don’t forget your guitar” Blaine reminded him “I’m sure we’ll be responsible for a lot of the fireside entertainment.”

“Got it! So, are you flying to Detroit in the morning?”

“No, I have something I’m doing in the morning with my uncle and then I have appointment with my shrink tomorrow afternoon. I’m going to fly out Wednesday.”

“What are you and your uncle doing tomorrow morning?”

Oh, Sam wasn’t going to like this. “Actually, he’s helping me try to get some information on Toby and Wyatt. Hopefully, when Dalton starts back up after the first of the year, we’ll have at least somewhat of an idea of who the Fight Club leak is.”

“How’s he going to do that?”

“He’s taking me to talk to the one Dalton connection we know they have.”

Blaine wanted to give Sam a minute, but it didn’t take that long for him to figure it out “Blaine, no fucking way. You can’t be serious.”

“Totally serious. Tomorrow Uncle Robert and I are paying a visit to Hunter Clarington.”

_Have you lost your fucking mind?!_

_Blaine, you can’t do this. Isn’t there has to be another way?_

_What did Sebastian have to say about this?_

Blaine had been through all of this with Sam, but hours later he was hearing the same questions from Jeff, Nick and Thad.

“Guys, listen” he said to the tiny boxes on his computer screen “This is the only way. Now, I need you to tell Uncle Robert everything, and I mean everything, you remember about Hunter’s time at Dalton.”

“Does Hunter know you’re going to be there Blaine?” Jeff asked.

“Yes, but I’m actually going in as my uncle’s clerk. That way when we’re in the room there will be no one listening due to attorney/client confidentiality. I signed at least a dozen confidentiality statements so they’d let me in.”

“Why would you do that?” Thad asked “You won’t be able to tell us anything he said.”

“I did it because Hunter has a big ego and he’s more likely to brag if he thinks I can’t say anything about it. After I kicked his ass, he’s going to want a way to feel superior to me. It’s the best chance we have to get the information on Toby and Wyatt we need.” He also wanted to find out information about Burt, but they didn’t need to know that.

“I promise if Clarington admits to anything that will be useful in finding your leak, I will convince him that is in his best interest to let Blaine share it with you” Robert told them “But, you’ve got to remember, whatever we do tomorrow we don’t want to inadvertently interfere with Dalton’s case against him. It’s a very tight rope we’ll be walking, that’s why your help is so important. Now, let’s start from the beginning. When did the three of you first meet Hunter?”

An hour, and two legal pads full of notes later, Blaine was finally able to say goodnight to his friends.

“You know they were the easy ones” Robert told him.

“I know, but I still think it’s best if I talk to Sebastian by myself.”

Robert stood up and stretched “Well, I’m sure you have ways of making him talk that I don’t.”

“Oh, god! You’re my uncle, don’t say things like that. You sound like Cooper.”

“Wouldn’t want to be accused of that.” Robert started to leave so Blaine could call Sebastian, but he had one thing to say first “I’m really proud of the way you’ve handled yourself, kid. However, I’ve got to tell you, you’ll be wasting your God-given talents if you become some sort of performer.”

“You think I should be a lawyer?”

“No, a crime boss.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see, we are FINALLY getting back to Dalton and the Fight Club storyline. It took me longer to set up Kurt’s blackmail and Blaine’s “help” than I anticipated. Thanks for hanging with me and share any (constructive, positive or negative) thoughts you may have. I know this chapter was a bit different from the others.


	16. Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine has two very different meetings before he leaves for the Holidays, and then an even more important one when he returns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is told through a series of flashbacks. They are in italics.

“So, your name is really Dr. Derek Shepard?” Blaine asked.

“Yes. I take it you’ve watched Grey’s Anatomy.”

“It’s my mom’s favorite show.” After his last appointment, Molly recommended that Blaine transfer to a therapist that was not the mother of one of his friends. She would remain the family therapist but he would begin seeing Dr. Shepard individually after the first of the year. Today was less of an appointment and more of a _Let’s see if I actually like this guy_ meeting.

Dr. Shepard looked over the notes he had been given and then back at Blaine. He knew it would take a lot for him to gain his new patient’s trust “I’m not going to go into any of this” he said as he put the file away “Why don’t you tell me what’s going on with you right now? Something Dr. Nixon would not have briefed me on. That way you can see if you are comfortable with how I handle issues.”

Blaine gave his shoulders a slight shrug, an obvious tell that he was blowing the question off “There’s nothing going on with me. Just getting ready to spend time with my family.”

The therapist came from out behind his desk and sat in a chair across from Blaine “Bull shit. You know this is not going to work if you lie to me. Right?”

Ok, that response was unexpected, Blaine told himself “Fine, I had a fight with my boyfriend. Do you have a problem with the fact that I have a boyfriend?”

“I think my husband would have a problem if I did.” Dr. Shepard told him “And just so you know, Dr. Nixon did not refer you to me because I’m gay. She referred you to me for my excellent BS detector as she felt you were hiding things from her. Now, do you want to tell me about the fight?”

Blaine began to relax. So far, he liked the guy “I lied to Sebastian, my boyfriend. In truth, I hid something from my boyfriend and then lied about why when he found out. He got so mad that he turned off his computer and I didn’t have a chance to tell him about what I was doing today.”

“Turned off his computer?”

“We were on Skype. He’s in Paris right now for the holidays. I called him back but he said he needed space. So, yeah, he’s pissed.”

“And you didn’t get to tell him whatever it was you did today before you came to see me?”

“Nope, and he’s going to totally flip out when he hears what happened.”

**Flashback, earlier that morning**   


_“Blaine?”_

_“Blaine?”_

_“Damn it, kid. If you can’t pull yourself together, I’m not taking you in there” Uncle Robert told him._

_“Sorry, Mr. Motta” Blaine played into his role so his uncle would know he was ok “I’m ready.”_

_“Are you sure?”_

_“Let’s do this.”_

_Blaine walked into the Franklin County Jail a couple of steps behind Robert (well, Al for the day as Blaine was constantly reminding himself). He needed to act like a nervous high school kid, interning as a clerk for a lawyer/ “alleged” crime boss. Or in other words, be himself. They both showed their IDs at the desk and were escorted to one of the conference rooms that lawyers used to assure confidentiality with their clients. The plan was for him to wait outside while “Mr. Motta” talked with Hunter first. The words plausible deniability had been used. He now understood why Santana wasn’t a fan of the term._

_It was about a half an hour later before he was asked into the room. Even though Hunter had been told that Blaine would be there, he didn’t look very happy to see him._

“So, this guy basically tormented your boyfriend for months and Sebastian just took it because he was protecting the rest of your friends from something that you’re not ready to tell me yet?” This talk had become way more complicated than Dr. Shepard had anticipated. It was only supposed to be a meet-and-greet, but evidently Blaine needed to discuss this. It had become abundantly clear, rather quickly, why Blaine had not been telling Dr. Nixon these things.

“Yes, if Bas took the blame, he could still go to college in Europe and no one would know anything about it. However, if any of the other guys had that kind of black mark on their record there would be no way they could get into an Ivy League school.”

“Did this guy give you answers to the questions you had?”

“Yes, he did.”

**Flashback, continued**

_“Anderson” Hunter practically seethed “I can’t believe you had the fucking nerve to show up here.”_

_“I can’t believe you can’t believe I’m here. I keep my word. I said I was going to kick your ass and I did, didn’t I?” Blaine smirked a bit when an obviously frustrated Hunter tried to lunge at him, but his wrists were handcuffed to the table._

_“Stop it, the both of you.” Blaine’s (we’re definitely not telling this guy) uncle snapped at them both. He sat down next to Blaine and handed him a pad of paper and a pen. It was both for appearance sake and to hide the audio recorder they had smuggled in. “Blaine, Hunter and I agreed to these terms. You can ask him three questions, but only three so make them count. Hunter, after we verify your information, and you better have told him everything, I will have one of my associates represent you as I am going to develop a conflict of interest.”_

_Blaine hadn’t known that would be part of the deal “You’re going to get him off?”_

_“I didn’t say that I was going to get him off. I said that I would make sure he had a competent legal defense and not an overworked Public Defender. What happens with his case after that will be between his lawyer and himself. But Hunter, if I find out you were not 100% forthcoming with ALL of the information Blaine needs, our other agreement is off the table as well.” Blaine knew better than to ask what that agreement was, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t as curious as hell about it._

_“Ask away” Hunter said “But remember, only three questions.”_

_“And I better not get any yes or no answers” Blaine shot back at him. Damn, he hated that guy._

_“Then you better watch your phrasing Golden Boy.”_

_Blaine knew he had to do just that because he had three different topics to cover in his three questions “Ok, but my first two questions go together. What do Kurt and Burt Hummel have to do with what you and your uncle tried to get away with at Dalton, especially how it concerns Sebastian?”_

_Like he was a bad guy in a movie, a sinister, almost Machiavellian grin overtook Hunter’s face. Both Blaine and Robert knew that wasn’t necessarily a good thing “The Congressman had nothing to do with anything that went down at Dalton except for providing the seed for the evil spawn.”_

_“Kurt?” Blaine was set aback from what Hunter said. Yes, Kurt was a blackmailing douche bag, but for Hunter Clarington to refer to him as “the evil spawn”, some serious shit must have gone down._

_“Yes, Kurt. Before I tell you what his part in this was/technically is, you’re going to want to ask your third question. After you hear what I have to say about Hummel you’re not going to give a shit about anything else.”_

“Your ex-boyfriend is blackmailing you with information he has on your friends and additional information on Sebastian?”

“Yes.”

“And this same guy has inadvertently included his father in what happened and that is how you hope to find a way to stop the blackmail?”

Blaine was impressed “Yes, and by the way, you are following along really well considering Sebastian was the only name I gave you.”

“Well, if you’re not just yanking my chain, this is a very interesting story.”

“Don’t get any ideas, Doc. I have yet another friend that’s helping me with this and I’m giving him the rights to the screenplay.”

**Flashback, continued**

_For some reason neither Blaine or Robert doubted what Hunter said, so Blaine asked his final question “What do you know about Wyatt Dyson and Stan Tobison and what is their connection to Dalton besides you?”_

_“Tsk, tsk, tsk, that’s technically two questions but what the hell. Wyatt and Toby used to deal pot, coke and a little smack at both Westerville and Dalton. The three of us got caught in a sting together about three years ago.”_

_“Used to deal?” Blaine was completely thrown off by Hunter’s revelation. He was sure he recognized the two, he just didn’t know from where. Why would he recognize a couple of drug dealers? He had never known anyone that took drugs. Or did he?_

_Hunter looked over at Robert and decided to choose his words very carefully “None of us had, shall we say, permission to work in that area. We were pretty sure that our getting busted was a message.” He looked over at Robert again and added “We got the message.” Robert leaned over and whispered something in Blaine’s ear. That small act pushed Hunter over the edge to ask a question he had had since he learned that Blaine would be there “Ok, I’ve got a fucking question of my own. How the hell do you know Al Motta, Anderson? You’re too squeaky-clean to be involved in, you know.”_

_Blaine snickered at the question. It had actually taken longer for Hunter to ask than they had anticipated “Simple…His daughter is in New Directions. I gave her voice lessons. He said if I ever needed a favor. You’re my favor. Now, there has to be more to Wyatt and Toby than the drugs.”_

_“They have an obsession with your precious Fight Club. I hadn’t been at Dalton a day when I got a call from them asking if I knew when the next fight would be. And when I say them, I mean the two of them. It is always Wyatt AND Toby.”_

_“You told them about the fight?”_

_“They were coming to see my King of the Mountain fight. Bet they were pretty pissed when they found the gates locked.”_

_“Do you know who told them about Fight Club in the first place?”_

_“Some guy that graduated from Dalton probably 3 or 4 years ago.”_

_“What’s the connection?”_

_“They were his heroin dealers. That’s all I know, they never gave me a name. I do know that he has a younger brother that is at Dalton now, but I don’t know who he is either.”_

“So, you recognize these two guys, but you don’t know from where?” Dr. Shepard had abandoned taking notes altogether. It wasn’t like he was about to forget any of this.

“Yes, it’s like I can see their faces but everything that might give me a clue to who they are is a blur.” Blaine reached for the messenger bag he brought with him and pulled out his glasses “Speaking of blurs” he said as he put them on, but then inexplicably began to laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Dr. Shepard asked him.

“My glasses. They were the cause of the fight I had with Sebastian last night.”

“Wait, you hid the fact that you wear glasses from your boyfriend? I don’t see why that is such a big deal.”

“Oh, Doc. You have no idea.”

**Flashback, the night before**

_After the dream that Santana had interrupted that morning, Blaine had been looking forward to his Skype time with Sebastian all day. When the window popped up with Sebastian’s handsome face, he could barely contain himself “Hey Beautiful, I’ve missed you. That picture you sent me of you and Baby Isabella was both super cute and super hot at the same time.” Blaine became concerned when Sebastian didn’t respond “Bas, what’s going on?”_

_“B, when did you start wearing glasses?”_

_Shit!_

_“Bas, I don’t wear them that often…”_

_Sebastian became agitated by Blaine lack of response, so he cut him off “Blaine, I asked you when did you start wearing glasses. Do not lie to me.”_

_Blaine was beyond pissed at himself. Of all of the fucking times he had forgotten to take off his fucking glasses. He looked back at the screen and when he saw Sebastian’s expression he knew he had to tell him “I started wearing glasses earlier this year.” Once he made the statement there was nothing left to do but wait for the fallout. He expected Sebastian to yell at him, hell he wanted Sebastian to yell at him._

_What he got was so much worse._

_What he got was a horrified looking Sebastian with a single tear running down his left cheek. It was heartbreaking “You said you just had to use eye drops.”_

_“95% of the time, the eye drops are all that I need. Sometimes my eye just gets extra tired and I have to wear the glasses.”_

_“Then how come I’ve never…” Sebastian’s entire expression changed as he had one of Sam’s famous epiphanies “You rub your temple. If your eye is bothering you and the drops aren’t working you rub your temple. Blaine, I’ve seen you do that dozens of times and I have never seen your glasses. You’ve been lying to me!”_

_“_ _I have not lied to you.”_

_“A lie of omission is still a lie, Blaine.” Sebastian’s single tear had been joined by many more “I just don’t understand why you didn’t tell me.”_

_“I was protecting…”_

_“Protecting?!” Blaine was surprised by the anger his boyfriend’s tone developed, so he was not about to stop his interruption “You were “protecting” me? Where the fuck have I heard that one? Oh yeah, when I was “protecting” the rest of the Warblers from the Slushie-gate fallout. And what happened there, huh? You called in the fucking mob because you knew I was doing the wrong thing. You fought a steroid junkie to get me away from him and the guys helped you do it, because you all knew I was doing the wrong thing. And then you have the audacity to say you didn’t tell me that you had to wear glasses because of what I did, because you were “protecting” me?”_

_“I wasn’t protecting you, I was protecting me.”_

_That statement seemed to calm Sebastian, at least a little bit “What are you talking about?”_

_“I wanted to be with you so badly.” It was time for Blaine’s tears to flow “I didn’t think that you would want to be with me when there would always be a constant reminder of what happened.”_

_“Blaine, you are a constant reminder of what happened, but I deal with it because the only other option is not being with you. And that is not an option.”_

_“I’m really sorry, Bas.” Blaine said in a voice that was barely audible._

_“I know you are, but I can’t talk to you right now. Goodbye, Killer.”_

_“Wait...!”_

_Sebastian had cut the connection on his end before Blaine had gotten a chance to tell him about the trip to see Hunter._

_Shit!_

“He’s just needs time, Blaine. Now, what the hell is Slushie-gate?” Dr. Shepard had to admit that he was particularly interested in that detail considering his husband’s fondness of the frozen beverage. However, before Blaine had the opportunity to answer there was a knock at the door “Come in.”

“Sorry to interrupt” the doctor’s receptionist said as she entered “But, Blaine your mom has been trying to get ahold of you. There’s a car at your house to take you to the airport.”

“I always put my phone on silent…” Blaine started to explain as he pulled his phone from his bag “Holy Crap! We’ve been talking for over two hours. I really have to go.”

As Dr. Shepard watched Blaine grab his bag to leave he thought of something “Hold up, you never told me what the jail guy said about your ex.”

“Guess that will have to wait until next time, Doc. You better have your receptionist block me out an appointment that’s longer than the usual ones.”

“I can do that. And, give Sebastian some time. It doesn’t sound like he’s going anywhere.”

“Thanks, Doc.”

“But Blaine, there can’t be anymore secrets. You can’t protect him from everything, especially not what you found out earlier today.”

Later when Blaine was finally on his way to the airport he had the chance to think about what his new therapist had told him before he left. He knew what he had to do.

_To Sebastian: I really am sorry Bas. You said you need time, so we can talk when we are both back in town. Merry Christmas. I love you._

Almost immediately his text alert went off.

_To Blaine: Merry Christmas. I love you too. See you when I get back._

Fifteen days later, Sebastian was leaving baggage claim at the Columbus Airport. His dad had come home a couple of days earlier but had been called into a meeting at work. He told Sebastian that he would be sending a car for him, so that last thing he expected to see was Blaine holding a sign that said _Smythe_.

“Hi.”

“Hi.” Blaine said back.

It was pretty apparent that neither one of them knew what to say. Finally, Sebastian stated “My dad said he was sending a car.”

“Yeah, about that. I kind of asked him to call you.”

“He didn’t have a meeting?”

“Nope.”

“Blaine, what’s going on?”

“There are two cars waiting outside. The first is a town car. The driver will load your luggage in and take it to your house. The second is a limo that is taking me to Lima and the Evans’ _Welcome Back_ party. You have a decision to make. Are you going to get in the car with your luggage or the limo with me?”

“What happens if I get in the limo?” Sebastian asked knowing full well that was his choice.

“We have over a two hour ride and there’s a soundproof patrician between us and the driver. There’s a lot I have to tell you and you can yell at me all you want.”

While Sebastian was concerned about what Blaine wanted to tell him, there was something he was even more interested in. He walked closer to Blaine’s ear and asked “What if I said that talking wasn’t necessarily what I had in mind at the moment?”

Blaine couldn’t help but bring out his Bad-ass Blaine look and say in that voice “Arrangements were made in case that situation presented itself. Is there something you would like to say?”

“Yes, this time it’s your turn to be punished.”

Blaine laughed as Sebastian grabbed his hand and started pulling him toward the doors. He was beyond ecstatic that things had turned out this way, but he still planned on telling Sebastian everything that happened while he was gone. Well, everything but one. He didn’t know what the fuck he was going to do with that piece of information.

**Flashback, Franklin County Jail**

_“Ok, Hunter. What the hell did Kurt have to do with all of this?”_

_“A lot, Anderson. A whole fucking lot. He really didn’t want Smythe anywhere near you.”_

_“I know. He’s already blackmailing me to force me to break up with Sebastian, but he’s got to know that I would never be with him again.”_

_The fact that Hunter began to laugh was surprising. The fact that he laughed as hard as he did was jarring “Cut the crap, Clarington. What’s so fucking funny?” Robert sniped at him._

_“What’s so funny is that fact that as smart as Anderson is he still hasn’t figured it out. Hummel doesn’t want you Golden Boy, he wants Sebastian.”_


	17. This is the New Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Warblers (Old and Present) and New Directions (Old and Present) celebrate New Year’s Eve together before it’s back to the business of trying to crush each other at Regionals. But it wouldn’t be a “Glee” party without some interesting developments along the way.

**9AM, New Year’s Eve**

“Mr. A?”

“Sebastian” Blaine’s father was the one to greet him at the door which Sebastian found a little strange, especially since the man was supposed to be in Detroit “Will you follow me please?”

“Sure.”

The door closed behind him, Sebastian was lead into the dining room where Mrs. Anderson (who was supposed to be in Detroit as well) was standing at the head of the table. He looked around and noted that besides Blaine...Sam, Sugar, David and Wes were there. That didn’t surprise him, but Puck and Santana did. When he finally sat down, he looked over at Blaine and for the first time that morning got a proper look at his boyfriend. That was a mistake.

“Sebastian dear, are you alright?” Mrs. Anderson asked.

“Uh, yeah, no coffee yet, but it can wait.” That was a lie. He did have a problem and it was all Blaine’s fault.

“Thank you because the car will be here any moment to pick us up.”

“Yes, so, before we leave…” Blaine’s father began what was an obvious Dad lecture of sorts “While Mrs. A and I have agreed to allow the Warbler/New Directions Joint New Year’s Eve Party Extravaganza to be held here, that doesn’t mean we’re a couple of idiots. Remember, we lived through Cooper’s teenage years.”

Mrs. Anderson took over and said in the sweetest Mom voice ever “And even though we’ll be in Detroit, that doesn’t mean we can’t have people here to bust every single one of your asses in less than five minutes.”

Puck leaned over to Blaine “Dude, I swear if she wasn’t married to your dad and like, you know, your mom…”

Blaine shot him a look of horror and then hissed “Do not finish that sentence! Ever!”

Fortunately, the little sidebar was not picked up on by the Andersons, so they continued with their instructions, wrapped in vailed threats, but given with both love and intimidation.

When they were done, Mr. Anderson gave them all an out “Like my wife said, these are our expectations. If any of you have an issue speak now so that everyone else has time to make new plans.” They all just glanced back and forth between each other, none of them having issues with anything the Andersons said “Good, so we’re off and will be back at 3PM on the 2nd. That gives everyone fair warning as to when to have the house back to _PRISTINE_ condition. Blaine, come give your mom a hug.”

After Blaine’s parents were gone, those gathered got up and began to discuss the party. Everyone, except for Sebastian. Blaine looked over to Sam, who was able to get the others to follow him to the kitchen. Once they were gone, Blaine sat back down “I’m sorry Bas. I shouldn’t have worn my glasses without warning you…”

“Shut up.”

“Excuse me?”

Sebastian let out a low groan as he shifted uncomfortably in his chair “I don’t have a problem with your glasses. I’m having a problem with your glasses, loose curls, more scruff than I’ve ever seen you with combo. This new look of yours has gone straight to my cock and I spent this entire time picturing you and Rachel kissing, but that’s not helping anymore.”

“Really?” Blaine asked with a surprised lilt to his voice and a smirk on his lips “Didn’t see that coming.”

“Neither did I, but speaking of coming…a little help here!”

“I’d take you to the powder room over there and blow you, but since Puck and Santana are here, it wouldn’t go unnoticed.”

“B, you have literally been the master of my orgasm denials for months. Do something!”

Blaine thought for a moment and then knew exactly what to do “Well, I have something I could try, but it’s kind of drastic.”

_“Killllllller…”_

“Ok, so you know when I met with Hunter? There’s one thing I still haven’t told you.”

“Blaine, now is not the time…”

“Yes, it is. Bas, Hunter told me that Kurt did all of those things to keep us apart not to keep you away from me, but to keep me away from you.”

The comment didn’t relax Sebastian as much as it temporarily tampered the urgency of the situation “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Hunter said Kurt doesn’t want me, he wants you.”

“That’s not funny, B.”

“Not trying to be.”

Sebastian looked at Blaine and could tell he was being completely serious. Instantly his problem went away. Like an ice bucket had been dumped. Like the idea of him and Hummel…

“Hey, are you ok?” Blaine asked.

“Yeah, but I have definitely found my new mailman. Nothing has ever taken me off the edge so quickly, and completely.” Sebastian told him as he caught his breath “And, you’re serious about this? You weren’t just trying to make me vomit?”

Blaine had started to shake his head when yelling was heard from the kitchen. Upon their arrival, they noticed that the group had been joined by a girl who was the size of Sugar, with the mouth of Santana, but the vocabulary of a Dalton Boy. It was also clear that all of her vitriol was aimed directly at Wes.

“Nari?” Blaine barely recognized her “I haven’t seen you in forever. What are you doing here?”

“Oh, no Blaine. You are not getting my brother out of this one.”

Meanwhile, Sebastian went to seek answers to his own questions “Where are David, Puck and Santana?”

“Puck’s talking to Finn. Santana is talking with Brittany and Artie to make sure everyone knows to be on their best behavior and David is doing the same with Jeff and Nicky” Sugar told him “I’m going to go call Kitty and tell her everything Auntie Pammy and Uncle Charles said. People are way more afraid of her than Brittany or Artie.”

Once Sugar left, Sebastian was going to ask Sam about Puck calling Finn but he soon noticed that would have been pointless “Earth to Sam. Earth calling Sammy Boy. Are you in there?”

“Um.”

Sebastian began to laugh. He tried not to, but the situation was pretty damn funny “Sam! Sam, snap out of it. Wes is going to notice you’re drooling over his sister.”

That actually worked “I am not…I mean, I’m not…I mean” Sam just stopped and let out a sigh “Isn’t she pretty?”

Blaine tried to determine what was going on across the room and at the same time mediate the Montgomery Family Feud. He was failing at both. “You’re not coming Nari. Final.” Wes dictated, which definitely was not the way to handle the situation.

“Not final. Mom said you had to let me and two of my friends come to the party. Just because the party moved to Blaine’s doesn’t negate the verbal agreement that was previously negotiated.”

“Oh my god, stop with the legal arguments. It’s a fucking party!”

Blaine never saw Wes lose his cool like the way he would with Nari. It reminded him of him and Sugar. Actually, it was the exact opposite of him and Sugar “It’s ok, Wes. Let Nari and her friends come. It’s no big deal.”

“No, I’m not babysitting the three of them all night.”

“I will” Sam spoke up and then turned beet-red when he realized what he said “I mean, your sister and her friends can hang out with me and the New Directions.” Sam walked over and held out his hand “Hi, I’m Sam.”

For the first time, Nari noticed the tall blonde boy in the room and kicked herself for not doing so earlier. She took his hand, and smiled at the way his eyes lit up when she did “Narissa, but you can call me Nari.”

“I think I’ll stick with Narissa if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind.”

Blaine tried to break the spell the two were under before Wes realized what was happening “So, that’s settled. Nari and no more than two friends can come to the party and hang out with the New Directions. Let’s get to work.”

It took about another hour before Wes realized that his sister was still there and had not left Sam’s side. He didn’t know what bothered him. Nari aggravated him like no other person could and he really didn’t know Sam all that well, but this was his baby sister and a boy. Blaine promised to keep an eye on things if necessary and that if for some reason Sam ever hurt Nari, he would not stand in the way of Wes’ revenge. That helped.

With calls to make, errands to run and deliveries coming in, everyone remained busy but Blaine wanted to assure that they would get rest periods due to the late night ahead. That’s why he put a halt to all preparations between 12PM and 2PM and would again between 6PM and 8PM. In reality, instituting arbitrary rest periods was a rouge plan to hide the fact that he and Sebastian wanted to be alone at 1 PM. Since they would not be able to celebrate the New Year in _Ohio_ as they would like, the would celebrate the New Year in _Paris_ that way. It seemed like a good compromise, plus it would test Sebastian’s ability to have silent sex before they returned to Dalton.

3PM brought the arrival of Thad, Jeff, Nick and Kitty, who brought a guy named Rodrick with her. He was the son of a friend of her father who had just transferred to McKinley. Since he planned on trying out for the New Directions, Kitty had asked if she could bring him to meet the others. Blaine hadn’t had a problem with it and having extra help was nice. It not only got things set up faster, it allowed him and Sebastian to sneak a couple of minutes with Puck.

“So, how is Finn doing visiting Rachel in New York?” Blaine asked “I was there the last time it happened and everything pretty much went to hell, but that was also the time of my disastrous break-up with Kurt.”

“Of which I am thankful every day” Sebastian said and then added a kiss.

“From what he says, it’s going pretty well” Puck told them. “What’s the word? Oh yeah, cathartic. He needed this before he starts college next month so he can move on. Finn had wanted to talk to her while she was here, but when she got that part in the Holiday Show his plans had to change.”

“Hearing that almost makes me feel a little less guilty that we, well you, suggested he go to New York in the first place. Without telling him it was to keep an eye on Kurt, of course” Blaine hated putting Puck in the middle of the situation, so he had been happy with what he reported.

“I still can’t believe that after everything that happened after Sectionals, Hummel talked Rachel into letting him stay with her for New Years as a way to repair their friendship” Yeah, that had pissed Sebastian off “But it gave us an opportunity to see if he contacted that Travis guy, which he did.”

Blaine went wide-eyed and quickly scanned the area “We cannot talk about that guy today, especially with David here.” His statement was not only a reminder to Sebastian, but himself and Puck as well. At this point, they were all pretty certain it was Travis, and not Kurt, who was after the money David didn’t know he had.

“Whatever” Puck said as he attempted to change the subject “But if Finn, and by Finn I mean Kurt, wasn’t out of town, I wouldn’t be here. So for me, it’s all good.”

“Your right, I would have never invited Kurt” Blaine told him “But for you I could have tolerated Finn.”

Puck started to laugh “You might have tried, but you would not have succeeded.”

Before Blaine could respond, Sam found them “Hey Seb, your car is blocking me and I told Narissa I would take her to her friend’s so she can get ready for the party.”

“Why don’t you take my Harley so we don’t have to play musical cars?” Blaine suggested “The bob is on my dresser and the helmets are in the cabinet marked, well helmets.”

“Seriously dude? Thanks!”

Once Sam left, Blaine turned back to Puck and Sebastian who stared at him like he had grown another head “What?”

“You’re letting Evans ride your Harley?” Puck asked in disbelief.

“You told Sam to take Wes Montgomery’s little sister out on your Harley?” Sebastian asked in disbelief.

“Oh shit!”

Blaine took off toward the garage, but he knew he was too late as he heard that distinctive roar pull out of the drive-way followed by an exceedingly angry brother shouting “Blaine Anderson, get your ass out here!”

After a half hour of “I’m sorry, Wes” and “Yes, I’m an idiot” as well as a call from Nari assuring her brother she was in one piece, order was restored. Pizzas arrived and everyone got a chance to relax and prepare for the mandated 6PM to 8PM rest period. It also gave Blaine and Sebastian a chance to pull aside the other person they needed to talk to, especially since she was leaving for New York in the morning.

“So, this den of iniquity is pretty different from your wanky room back in Lima” Santana noted as she entered Blaine’s bedroom.

“Wanky room?” Sebastian asked.

Blaine tried to wave it off, but Santana just smiled and took a drink out of her bottle of water before answering “When I stayed at Sugar’s I interrupted your boy here as he was dreaming about you and he was so out of it that he answered his door naked.”

“I was not out of it” Blaine corrected “I was busy trying to figure out where to bury your body so I didn’t give a shit.”

“Hold on” Sebastian wasn’t aware Blaine and Santana’s friendship had grown this much while he was in Paris “She saw you naked?” he asked Blaine.

“Yes, I did” Santana answered for him “And even though it didn’t do anything for me, I will say that you’re a lucky man Mr. Smythe.”

“First of all” Blaine countered “It totally did do something for you. Now, can we get to the topic? Santana, do you still have the tape you made of Kurt when he approached us at the Lima Bean on Black Friday?”

“Yes, but it’s in a box of my belongings headed to New York.”

Sebastian was confused “What’s going on B?”

“I remember commenting that I didn’t think something he said referred to me, but I don’t remember what he said.” Blaine looked at Santana “Do you?”

“No, sorry. Why is that important now?”

“Because when I talked to Hunter he told me that Kurt didn’t want me he wanted Bas.”

Unfortunately, Santana had just taken another drink of her water and proceeded to spit it on Sebastian “Damn it, Lopez!” he yelled before heading to Blaine’s en suite for a towel.

“Sorry, but tell your boyfriend not to spring shit like that on me” she called out. “Let’s just agree that between that and my seeing Blaine’s junk, we’re even for the Slushie.” After she heard some form of a disgruntled acceptance from the other room, she turned her attention back to Blaine “Do you think this Clarington guy was serious?”

“If he lied, the deal he made with my uncle was no longer valid. He wouldn’t chance that.”

“What kind of deal could your _alleged_ mobster uncle make him?”

Blaine walked over and sat in the chair at his desk, then he almost glared at Santana in amazement. How could she of all people not have figured this out? “Santana, there’s nothing _alleged_ about my uncle.” Santana let out a gasp before putting her hand over her mouth and falling back onto Blaine’s bed “Now you understand why it’s hard to believe Hunter would lie.”

“Then why do you doubt what he said?”

“Because at that dinner from hell Bas and I had with Kurt, Kurt called Bas a slut right to his face.”

“Don’t forget he also called my mother a slut” Sebastian snarled as he came back into the room.

That had been the opening Blaine had been waiting for. He tried to read Sebastian’s face but found no answers there. Fuck! That night when Kurt talked about Sebastian’s mother and sister, Blaine had realized the Smythe family secret. What he didn’t know was if Sebastian knew the secret as well, but Blaine would never ask. This was not the kind of secret you accidently told someone.

It was in that moment that Blaine decided to let it go for now. There was a week left on the truce he brokered with Kurt, but better than that he was about to throw the best party ever. There was no way he was screwing that up.

It was time for the Warbler/New Directions Joint New Year’s Eve Party Extravaganza to begin!

**9PM, New Year's Eve**

The party was more than ready to go and guests began to arrive. Warblers showed up first, which wasn’t surprising. The one that didn’t show was Doug. That disappointed Blaine as he had personally invited his roommate. He asked Doug’s friends about his no-show, but all of them said that they had no contact with him over the break. Once again Blaine decided to let something go. He knew there was no way to find out what happened until they were back at Dalton.

Not much later, all of the current New Directions arrived plus Mike, Quinn and Mercedes. Blaine had sent a bus for them but they were all staying the night. After they put away their overnight bags, Sam introduced them to Narissa and her friends. The girls instantly clicked with his friends, and like Sam promised Wes, they spent the night hanging out with the kids from McKinley.

It didn’t take long for the rest of the guests start to intermingle as well. Blaine and Sebastian had to laugh as some of the groupings were quite entertaining to watch. Puck, Mike and Beat had found the beer and were constantly laughing (loudly) but no one understood why. Unique and Trent had been in their own little world since the moment they were introduced and Tina was pretty much stalking Jeff. Evidently, she had decided that since Kitty and Sugar had Warbler boyfriends, she needed one as well.

However, the group that Blaine found the most intriguing was Wes & Quinn and David & Mercedes. While they were together in a group of four, it was obvious that they had also paired themselves into couples, one that had a connection they hadn’t realized.

“So, David’s grandmother goes to your church?” Blaine asked Mercedes “And the two of you used to play together when you were younger?”

“We lived with my grandmother for a while after my parents’ divorce” David informed him “I was about six, which made you five. Right Mercedes?”

“Yes. We recognized each other but didn’t know how.” Mercedes said “Guess we just should have asked.”

Everyone was so engrossed in their conversations that none of them noticed the karaoke/performance area that had been set-up (to be fair, Rachel wasn’t there). Blaine and Sam went over and got things started with their rendition of _Heroes._ It had been forgotten that most of the guest were unaware that Blaine played guitar. That meant Sebastian, Thad, Puck, Santana and Sugar spent time during the performance explaining the concept of _Alpha Gay_. It made sense to most guests, but Mercedes was totally pissed off.

Her relationship with Kurt had been strained when she found out that he had given the tape to Sebastian without telling Blaine. But this, this was Kurt making Blaine feel like he had to hide his talent. Then she remembered a conversation she had with Quinn, Santana and Brittany after the Trouble Tone’s loss at Sectionals. She almost didn’t to go back to the New Directions because she refused to sing background for Blaine (and Berry), and only did go back because the Trouble Tones were promised a number during every competition. Did that make her any better than Kurt? She decided she had a few more New Year’s resolutions to contemplate.

A little after 11PM, and after many outstanding performances (including Santana and Sebastian’s version of _Smooth Criminal_ ) an inebriated McKinley crowd convinced Roderick to sing for them. Since Kitty had been helping him she went and pulled up the song on the karaoke machine. She couldn’t wait for the New Directions, but in reality the Warblers, to hear him.

 _My lover's got humour_  
_She's the giggle at a funeral_  
_Knows everybody's disapproval_  
_I should've worshipped her sooner_

The minute the first line was out of Roderick’s mouth the Warblers gravitated toward each other.

“Wow.”

“Yeah, he’s good.”

“Like really, really good.”

Similar comments continued to be whispered and then Kitty came in and helped with harmony…

 _Take me to church_  
_I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies_  
_I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife_  
_Offer me that deathless death_  
_Good God, let me give you my life_

After that, David summed things up “You guys are so screwed.”

Once the song finished, the Warblers clapped politely but the New Directions (both Old and New) went crazy. “Well, what are you going to do Blaine, Sebastian?” Wes asked. When they gave him a _Why the fuck are you asking us_ look he reminded them “You’re the co-captains and the New Direction’s just threw down one hell of a gauntlet.”

“Oh, yeah. What are we going to do, Bas?” Blaine had no ideas.

“I think we should sing a particular duet.”

“Are you sure? I mean, that’s our song. What about _Mirrors_?

“ _Mirrors_ isn’t a duet” Sebastian reminded him “Unless you want to do a solo?”

“No, let’s go.”

Thad couldn’t hide his smile as he knew what they were about to sing.

“What are they doing?” Jeff asked.

“You’ll see.”

When the New Directions saw Blaine and Sebastian were going to sing they quieted down. Kitty watched with a smirk, believing that her performance with Roderick couldn’t be topped. However, when Sam and Sugar heard the first notes from Blaine’s guitar, they knew the Warblers were not going down without a fight.

 _You and me were always with each other_  
_Before we knew the others was ever there_  
_You and me we belong together_  
_Just like a breath needs the air_

“Wow”

“Yeah, wow.”

“Like really, really wow.”

Comments were whispered in a similar fashion to the way the Warblers had, but about half-way through Joe asked a question that more than a few of them had “The song is beautiful but who sings it? I’ve never heard it before.”

“Blaine and Sebastian” Sam told them. “Blaine wrote the song.”

After that, Santana summed things up “You guys are so screwed.”

Midnight came faster than anticipated and soon there were shouts of “Happy New Year!” and Blaine and Sebastian had no problem getting in several not-so-chaste kisses.

“This really is a great party, Killer” Sebastian told him as their last kiss ended.

“I know. I’m so happy to see all of my friends getting along. It’s going to be a shame when Mr. Schue finds out and puts a halt to it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Take Me to Church: Hozier-Byrne, Andrew 2013
> 
> I know Roderick didn’t come along until Season 6, but he was the same grade as Kitty so I used him here. One of the things I am not going to deal with in this story is the New Directions constant issue of having 12 members. Because of this, expect Brittany, Joe and of course Sugar to stick around.
> 
> This version of Take Me to Church (in my opinion) was one of the only good things about Season 6.


	18. Blindside, Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The very definition of a blindside is you never see it coming.

It was times like this that Blaine was thankful he had transferred back to Dalton. The first week back from break was for Seniors only. The week was officially titled University Preparation and Planning Week. The students refer to it as _What the fuck are you doing with your life_ Week.

Dalton boys applied to colleges for early acceptance during their Junior year. Even though Blaine had been at McKinley, his parents hired a counselor to help with his applications (and didn’t even say anything like _If you were still at Dalton_ once). It had been necessary since the counselors at McKinley couldn’t help him. He had to laugh as he remembered the look of total confusion on Miss Pillsbury’s face when he had discussed the process with her.

The one thing that did concern him was Sebastian. With everything that had happened since Blaine’s return, they had never gotten around to discussing college. When they finally realized that fact, they made the conscious decision to not talk about their plans. No matter how much they loved each other, they were not going to influence what the other did. If they wound up in the same area, that was great. If they didn’t…well, they’d cross that bridge if they had to.

Since there were not actual classes happening, Blaine had been able to schedule a 2-hour appointment with Dr. Shepard. He had been happy to hear that Blaine had come clean with Sebastian. He also gave him something to think about for next time. How was he saving himself when he was busy trying to save everyone else? Blaine had to admit that was a good question.

He left his appointment and headed toward the truck when he got a 911 text from Sam. The roads weren’t great, so instead of talking through his Bluetooth while driving, he went to the Starbucks across the street. It amazed him how much he missed the Lima Bean.

Once he had his coffee, he found a chair next to the fake fire place and made the call. “Hey Sam, what’s with the 911? Please tell me it has nothing to do with your date tomorrow night with Nari.”

“Ok, first of all you owe me like a hundred dating freak outs after what I had to put up with when you and Seb were getting together. Secondly, no, this is about Glee Club.”

“What did Schuster do now?” Blaine sighed. He knew his former advisor would cause issues with his return. He had never taken the time to get to know the new members and he hadn’t done much to gain their respect when he came back for Sectionals.

“He told us that since Finn couldn’t be there full time because he was starting college, Kurt was going to be his assistant.”

Of course, he did. Kurt was one of his three favorites. Santana, Quinn and Brittany may have called themselves the Unholy Trinity, but when it came to the New Directions it was actually Rachel, Finn and Kurt “I’d say you’re kidding, but I believe it. What did you guys say? Oh god, Sugar probably freaked.”

Blaine’s comment made Sam laugh “She did. Hell, we all did. We walked out.”

“Excuse me?”

“We walked out. Poor Roderick had been there only 20 minutes when he got to experience the New Directions crazy.”

“Ok, I’m assuming that Schuster found a way to get everyone back.”

“He did. He made me Captain.”

“Congrats, but neither Artie or Tina threw a fit about you being named Captain? They are originals.”

“Artie didn’t care. He’s too busy making his short film for his film school application and Tina’s too busy being the New Rachel.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m the New Rachel and since I left it should be Brittany.”

“Yeah, you tell Tina that.”

“You’ve got a point” Blaine conceded. Sometimes it was just easier to let Tina be Tina. She reminded him of Cooper in that way. “Now, I’ve got a question. Do you know why I got an invitation to the Schuster- Pillsbury wedding?”

“Miss Pillsbury wants everyone to get along again.” Emma had talked to Sam about the possibility of inviting Blaine (and thus Sebastian), but he couldn’t believe she went ahead and did it. She was usually the one that tried to avoid conflict.

“And so, I get to be the bad guy by not going? I’m not spending my first Valentine’s Day with Bas at the wedding of someone I don’t like, especially when Regionals are a week later.”

“Although, you and Seb could get all cute and cuddly at the reception and totally piss Kurt off.”

“That might be fun.” Blaine thought about how pissed Kurt would be and it didn’t scare him. With the information he had obtained from Hunter, he planned on having all of the shit with Kurt finished long before Valentine’s Day. Dealing with the mysterious Travis was another story.

They talked for about another half an hour and that part of the conversation did revolve around Sam’s date with Nari. He was happy for Sam, but Wes was driving him crazy. He didn’t take it well when he found out that Sam had dated Quinn, Santana, Mercedes AND Brittany.

After he hung up with Sam he saw that he had received two texts. The first was from Jeff. It was a continuation of the discussion/argument they had been having since New Year’s Eve.

_From Jeff: I still don’t understand why you won’t write the Warblers a song for Regionals_   
_From Blaine: Because I already cost the Warblers a Regionals_   
_From Jeff: Last year when you went to McKinley?_   
_From Blaine: The year before_   
_From Jeff: ?_   
_From Blaine: Candles_   
_From Jeff: Candles did not cost us Regionals (although it was cringe worthy). ND won because they did original songs_   
_From Jeff: Just please not another love song for Sebastian_   
_From Blaine: Good bye, Jeff_   
_From Jeff: This isn’t over_   
_From Blaine: Didn’t think it was_

The other text was from his Dad stating the package they had been waiting on had arrived. He had planned on heading back to Dalton, but there was no way that was happening now.

“Dad!” Blaine called out upon his arrival home.

“What? No love for me?” his mom asked as she came out from the kitchen with something in her hands.

“The camera, Mom?”

“Have you met me? Come on. He’s in the garage.”

When Blaine reached the garage, he noticed that his father was as excited as he was. He walked over and the two of them pulled back the cover, his mother taking pictures the entire time.

It was his car. The 1966 Mustang Fastback that they had finished when Blaine was in Detroit during the Holidays. It was the car that he originally thought his dad wanted to rebuild with him to make him straight. The car Blaine had asked to finish as a kind of a peace offering. The car that in the end wound up being the bonding experience his dad had wanted it to be.

“Dad, it’s perfect. I’m so glad we let the professionals paint it” Blaine said as he lightly ran his hand over the cherry-red finish.

“Me too, son.”

Blaine’s mom wasn’t even going to try to pretend she wasn’t crying. She cried at everything. Her husband and boys were used to it. “Ok, picture time!” she announced and then took at least two dozen pictures of her husband and son in various poses around the car. When she finished, Blaine took out his phone and snapped some pictures of his own that he immediately sent to his friends. It took about 30 seconds for his phone to start pinging.

“I take it your friends like the car?” Mrs. Anderson asked.

“To put it mildly. They all want rides.”

“Blaine, I really don’t think it’s a good idea to drive a 50 year-old convertible in the middle of winter. No matter how expertly we restored it.” Mr. Anderson may have told Blaine that, but he was already planning ways to sneak a drive sometime soon “Now, are you staying for dinner?”

“Uh, duh. Can we make pizza?”

“Uh, duh” his parents replied in unison, causing them all to laugh.

While they had dinner, they discussed what Blaine’s counselor told him and he read the texts he got from his friends. Their favorite was Santana’s who managed to use the moniker Richboy 8 times in a 25 word text. They were having such a good time that Blaine hadn’t realized how late it had gotten. He had to get back to Dalton, but first he needed something from his room.

His mom had told him that she put a box he received in the mail on his dresser. It was what he had hoped…the tape Santana had recorded of Kurt at the Lima Bean. As much as he wanted to listen to it, he chose to wait. He was having too good of a day to ruin it with the sound of Kurt’s voice. He put it in his bag along with the tape from his trip to see Hunter and a set of keys he had forgotten. After sharing hugs with his parents, he was out the door. As if he had timed it that way, when he pulled into the Dalton parking lot a call came through his Bluetooth. From the ring tone, he knew who it was.

“Hey Sexy.”

“Sexy?”

“Yes Bas, Sexy. Do you need me to go into detail?”

“No, I’m waiting for the Lacrosse meeting to start and Thad probably wouldn’t appreciate listening to my half of that conversation.”

“No, Thad wouldn’t” Blaine could hear Thad say from the seat next to Sebastian.

Blaine didn’t want to laugh as he wanted to get his tone right. That specific tone. As soon as that meeting was over, he had plans for his boyfriend “Fine, then just listen to me. You are staying in my room tonight. And yes, I got the keys for the handcuffs. Do you understand?”

“Yes, si…Blaine.”

“Good boy. Now pay attention to your coach and I’ll see you in an hour.” He got out of the truck and headed into the building. He had a lot of things to do before he saw Sebastian.

The last thing Blaine expected to see in his dorm room was someone standing next to his bed “Doug? What are you doing here? Under classmen don’t start until Monday.” His roommate had his head down, but when he lifted it Blaine instantly knew something was wrong “Doug what is it?” He ran into Blaine’s arms and started to sob. Not knowing what else to do, Blaine walked them over and sat on the edge of bed, all the while trying to calm the young Warbler “Shhhh, it’s ok. I promise whatever’s wrong, I’ll help you.”

“You don’t know that.”

Blaine lifted his chin and made Doug look him in the eyes “Yes, I do.”

It took a while but finally he said “I know who your leak is.”

Blaine thought his heart was going to stop, but he kept his cool as Doug began to sob again. How did he even know about the Fight Club leak? However, right now that was not the most important question “Who?”

“My older brother Earl.”

Blaine’s mind started to race a thousand miles an hour, but all he could think of was that Hunter said the guy that told Wyatt and Toby about Fight Club had a younger brother at Dalton. Who would have guessed he had been right under his nose this whole time? He reached into his nightstand drawer, pulled out some tissues and handed them over “How do you know?”

Doug let go of Blaine to wipe his eyes and blew his nose “You guys aren’t as discreet as you think you are. I heard plenty of conversations about a Fight Club leak. Then when you had me look up Wyatt and Toby and told me I couldn’t say anything, I guessed they were involved.”

“You knew Wyatt and Toby? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“They’ve been friends with Earl since second grade. My parents sent Earl to Dalton specifically to get him away from them, but it didn’t work especially since they are also his dealers. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I had to know for sure.”

“And now you’re sure?”

“Yes” Doug began to cry again, but not so hard that Blaine couldn’t understand him “The three of them told me so over break. Blaine, they told me they would kill me if I told anyone and I’m pretty sure they meant it.”

“What about your parents?”

“They won’t listen. Earl’s the golden-child even though he’s a fucking screw-up.”

Instead of lifting his chin, Blaine put both hands on Doug’s cheeks “Look at me. Doug, look at me.” When he finally did, Blaine said in a way that guaranteed his sincerity “I will _NEVER_ let anything happen to you. Do you understand?”

“So, I don’t get any consequences for not telling you what I knew sooner?”

“Oh my god, of course not. You were so brave in telling me. I’m sorry if you ever thought that would be an issue.” That seemed to help calm the situation down “Now, I have a favor to ask. Do you have a picture of your brother?”

“Yes, my mom gave me a family picture for Christmas for me to put in my, our, room. You know, to give off the impression that we’re some big, happy family.” Doug went over, pulled the framed photo out of his bag and handed it to Blaine. After only looking at it for an instant, Blaine threw it across the room and ran into the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

“Blaine, Blaine, what’s wrong? Please open the door!” The sound of vomiting had Doug realize that wouldn’t happen, so he ran out into the hall yelling for help. Since there were very few students there, he was half-way to the Warbler Commons before he ran into anyone. Fortunately, it was Sebastian and Thad.

“What the hell?” Sebastian asked. All Doug had to say was “Blaine” and the three of them were running back to the dorms. Along the way Jeff, Nick, Trent and Beat saw the sight and joined them, but when they reached their destination Blaine was gone.

“He was here” Doug yelled as he verified Blaine was no longer in their bathroom. His agitation heightened the anxiety of the others.

“What happened?” Jeff asked.

“You and Trent stay here and find out” Sebastian told him “We didn’t pass B so there’s only one place he could be. The rest of you come with me.”

Sebastian and the others ran down to the Out Building. If Blaine was as upset as Doug said, he would be hitting the heavy bag. When they reached their destination, Sebastian threw back the door and all of them gasped at what they saw.

“Somebody call a fucking ambulance!”


	19. Blindside, Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Since Blaine is unable to tell them what happen, Sebastian gets some help to stop things from going into crisis mode.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ICU stands for Intensive Care Unit (oh, spoiler alert!)
> 
> Warning: Talk of self-harm. Violence.

The only thing that was keeping Sebastian from losing it was one line from _You + Me…_ _Someone who will be there for you when you fall apart_. Blaine had fallen apart, so he needed to be there for him. When Blaine woke up the only thing he should have to focus on was getting better. Sebastian just wished he knew when that would be. With so many thoughts running through his head, he was unaware that someone had joined him “Seb?”

“Hey, Sam.” Neither one of them said anything as they embraced until Sebastian noticed they were not alone “Thank you for everything Mr. Evans.”

“No, thank you for calling me first. Sam didn’t need to hear this over the phone.” Dwight Evans walked over and put a hand on each boy’s shoulder to show his support “Now, where is everyone?”

“The Andersons were able to get this room and one closer to the ICU for privacy. They’re down there with Sugar and her father. The guys are back at Dalton except Nick who is with Sugar. My parents were here but they are both running errands for the Andersons.” There was much more going on but Sabastian didn’t want to get into that with Sam’s dad “Mr. Evans, would you go down to the other room? Blaine’s mom and uncle are playing nice because Sugar is down there, but…”

Dwight gave him a nod as he immediately knew where Sebastian was going with his request. When they were all in Aspen, the tension between the two had been palpable. Plus, he was pretty sure the boys wanted a moment to themselves “Alright, I can do that if you’ll point me in the right direction.”

“One of the guys outside of the door will take you down there.”

Once his dad was gone, Sam took a step back “What the fuck is going on Seb and why the hell is the police outside of the door?”

“Those aren’t cops. They’re Al Motta’s guys.”

“Why did you call Robert…” Sam stopped his question when he had one of his epiphanies. “Holy Fuck! What the hell happened Sebastian?”

“Honestly, we don’t know what happened to Blaine” Sebastian told him as he motioned toward the chairs. After they were seated he continued “All we know is B’s roommate told him that his brother is the Fight Club leak. Doug figured it out when Blaine asked him for help identifying Wyatt and Toby. Long story short, Doug confronted them, they told him if he told anyone they would kill him, he told B anyway, showed B a picture of his brother, B freaked out.”

“And no one has any idea why Blaine freaked out when he saw the picture?”

“Nope, we’ll have to wait until Killer wakes up.”

Sam dropped his head into his hands as a sign that he needed a moment. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. How had this become his life? All he and Blaine had wanted to do was bring the Nationals trophy back to McKinley.

After a deep breath, he raised his head and asked “Did they really threaten to kill Doug?”

“Yes. We don’t know if they were serious, but Doug believes they were. Right now, my dad is using some of the connections he made as State’s Attorney to get an order of protection for him. In the meantime, Doug, as well as all members of the Fight Club Rules Council and everyone here has a protection detail of the mob variety. Also, there are people out looking for Wyatt, Toby and the brother.”

“I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but that makes sense.” Now it was time for the hard stuff “Ok, will you finally tell me why Blaine is in ICU? All you told my dad was that he was hurt.”

“Let’s go to the other room and Mr. A…”

“No, you tell me” Sebastian turned his head away, so Sam decided to go with a different tactic “Fine, then explain to me why you’re wearing hospital scrubs.”

There was no way to explain without telling him everything “Because my clothes had B’s blood on them.”

When Sebastian finished telling Sam what happened, he walked over and grabbed a box of tissues “Before we go down to the other room, you need to pull it together. The Andersons cannot handle seeing you like this.”

“Guys?”

“Cooper.” Sebastian got up and gave Blaine’s brother a hug, but when Cooper saw how upset Sam was he sat down beside him.

“You ok?”

“Yeah, it’s just a lot. Plus, it’s” Sam looked over to the clock on the wall “a little after 2 AM.”

Sebastian reached over and put his hand on Sam’s knee “Go down to the other room, get an update and then try to get a nap in. Killer isn’t waking up anytime soon.”

Since he was unable to stifle a rather large yawn, Sam agreed but asked “What about you?”

“I’ll be down as soon as I talk with Cooper for a minute. Promise.” The moment Sam was gone Sebastian turned back to Cooper “Is it done?”

“Absolutely.”

**Westerville Park, 1 Hour Earlier**

_“What’s going on?” Earl asked his friends, Wyatt and Toby “And why are we meeting here at one o’clock in the morning? It’s fucking freezing out here.”_

_“Your little bitch of a brother talked” Toby informed him._

_“I know. Sebastian Smythe’s father showed up at my house and served my parents with an order of protection.”_

_“Did you handle it?”_

_“What do you think?” Earl answered with a bit of a snicker “My parents believe everything I tell him. Now answer my question. Why are we here?”_

_“He set up the meeting” Wyatt said as four men walked out from the shadows, one that Earl recognized._

_“You’re that guy from the commercials.”_

_Before he said anything, Cooper studied who he was meeting. He had been told that Blaine had recognized them, but didn’t know from where. He didn’t recognize them at all, so he went with the original plan “Why yes, I am, and while it’s always nice to meet a fan that has nothing to do with why I’m here.” Cooper motioned for the other men to move in closer “You see, your friends here are correct. Your brother talked to the Fight Club Rules Council. You told your friends here about Fight Club and they ran their mouths to any one that would listen. You all broke the rule.”_

_Earl looked over to his friends, who just shook their heads, hoping he would get the hint to keep quiet. However, that didn’t happen “What are you, our consequence? What are you going to do to us, make us watch your stupid commercial on a loop until we go insane?”_

_“Shut the fuck up!” Wyatt hissed._

_“You should listen to your friend” Cooper told him “See, I was going to try to do this the nice way, now not so much. Here's how this is going to go. These gentlemen behind you are your shadows for the time being. And when I say shadow, I mean if you take a shit they will know. So, I suggest you learn to keep your fucking mouths shut. Additionally, if you attempt to go after your brother or anyone associated with Dalton’s Fight Club, my friends here have permission to stop you by any means necessary.”_

_Earl was about to respond when Wyatt grabbed him by the arm “You need to stop. He’s not kidding.”_

_“How do you know?”_

_“Because our shadows? They’re Al Motta’s men.”_

“They’re not going to be an issue, Sebastian.” Cooper was glad that Sebastian had trusted to tell him what was happening and then let him handle the problem. Sebastian had been right. None of this needed to get back to his parents, especially not now. “What’s happening at Dalton?”

“Thad called and said that things were under control, at least for now. This was WTF Week for Seniors and there’s no classes tomorrow so the school is pretty empty. Those that are there know something happened to B, but they don’t know what. Fortunately, they’re _Dalton Boys_ and know to keep their mouths shut, especially this close to graduation. Then tomorrow Thad and Beat are going to subtly bring up Karofsky and imply that what happened to him was a consequence. No one needs to know that it actually was. Sometimes the rumor is more effective. I also talked to Santana, who won’t say anything, and the only people from Lima that know are Sam, Sugar and Puck who is keeping an eye on Hummel.”

“I still can’t believe what Squirt pulled off with Karofsky. That took some serious balls.”

“You know, Blaine is going to be really pissed that I told you all of this.” It was the first time since everything unfolded that he questioned confiding in Cooper.

“While Blaine maybe closer to Uncle Robert than I am, that doesn’t mean I don’t know the truth about him. I’m just glad he agreed that he should keep out of it for now and to let me take care of what had to be done. You know, it goes without saying that my parents can’t know about my involvement.”

“No shit.” Sebastian laughed for the first time in hours and then looked over at the door “Mom?”

Juliette Smythe walked over and took her son in her arms, giving him a sense of security that only a mother could “How are you doing, my Darling Boy?”

“I’ve been better. Oh mom, this is Cooper Anderson, Blaine’s brother. Cooper, my mom, Juliette Smythe.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Smythe. I just wish it was under better circumstances.”

“Likewise. Now, you two need to go to Blaine’s room. Cooper, the neurologist that you brought from LA has finished with his examination and your parents would like to talk to you as well as Sebastian and Sam.”

“What about Sugar?” Sebastian asked knowing how upset she had been earlier and how much Blaine cared for her.

“Sugar’s father took her to the Andersons to get some sleep. Nick went with them since Dalton was already locked down for the night. You’re going to stay with them…”

“I’m not leaving until he’s awake, Mom.”

Mrs. Smythe knew that she wouldn’t win any type of verbal sparring with her son, so she let it go “I’m not going to argue with you, so just talk to the Andersons and see what they say. I left a change of clothes for you with Mr. Evans.”

“Thanks Mom”

She hugged her son tightly one last time “You boys need to get down there. Sebastian, your dad and I will be here around noon to check on you. Try to get some sleep. Blaine’s going to need you when he wakes up. I love you, my Darling Boy.”

“I love you too, Mom.

Sebastian and Cooper were surprised to see Sam and Mr. Anderson standing in front of the door when they arrived at Blaine’s room “Dad what’s going on?” Cooper asked. “And where’s Mom?”

“Your mother is already in with Blaine, but I thought I should prepare the three of you before we go in.”

“Prepare us how, Dad?”

“Blaine’s arms are on boards so that his hands can be immobilized. Then the boards have been elevated to lessen the swelling.” He gave them a moment, then asked “So, are you boys ready?” When they nodded, Mr. Anderson led them in and all three realized instantly why Blaine’s father had taken the time to prepare them. The sight was jarring. The set-up that elevated his arms had Blaine literally tied to the bed.

“What’s wrong with him?” Cooper’s voice quivered as he spoke. He had not anticipated the memories that would come back to him.

Mrs. Anderson started to speak, but couldn’t. Her husband continued for her “The good news is Dr. Sterling assured us that there are no broken bones.”

“Jeff’s dad is a doctor?” Sam didn’t know why he was stunned by that, especially since Jeff had said he planned on going into medicine.

“Yes, an orthopedic surgeon. Like I said no broken bones, but we won’t know the extent of any nerve damage until the swelling goes down. It should take about 48 hours. And he won’t be waking up anytime soon. The doctors are going to take him off of the tranquilizers slowly. We can’t have him getting upset like before and causing possible further damage.”

Cooper started to shake his head in disbelief “No, no, no, no, no! Are you saying that he may never be able to play his music again?...I need some air.”

Mr. Anderson went after him, while Mrs. Anderson tried to think of something to say. She could tell the other boys had been shaken by Cooper’s outburst “Blaine’s going to need both of you to get through this.”

“We love him” Sam said “Well, in different ways. You know what I mean.” Both Sebastian and Mrs. Anderson giggled at Sam’s comment but then the conversation became serious again “Mrs. A, was Cooper right about Blaine not being able to play his music anymore?”

“I know we keep saying this Sweetie, but we won’t know until the swelling goes down?”

“What about Julliard?” The moment the words came out of his mouth, Sam knew he had screwed up “I’m sorry Seb. He told me you guys weren’t going to talk about college until after this week.”

“Julliard?” Sebastian didn’t know what to think “I assumed Blaine wanted to go to NYADA or Tisch. Maybe Michigan or USC. Why didn’t I think of Julliard?” Right away, Sebastian knew the answer to his own question “Fucking Hummel and his fucking _Alpha Gay_ bullshit! B had to hide his talent for a fucking year to not upset that asshole!” He caught his breath and then recognized what he had done “I’m so sorry, Mrs. A. I know you don’t like the f-word.”

“In this case, it was completely understandable. I can tell how frustrated you are, but Sebastian, you can’t go off like that in here. This room has to be a calm space for Blaine.” Mrs. Anderson started to say something more, but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Sam, we need to get home.”

“Oh Dwight, there’s no way you should be driving back to Lima” Mrs. Anderson got up and headed toward the door “You’ll go back to our house and get some sleep. Sam, you know where things are, correct? Good, I’ll get you my keys and the code.” Sebastian stood up to leave with them, but was stopped “Sebastian, why don’t you take a few minutes alone with Blaine.”

“Thank you, Mrs. A.”

Sebastian sat back down and didn’t move until he finally figured out how he could get into bed with Blaine without touching his arms. After a few moves that would make a contortionist proud, he was finally cuddled into Blaine’s side. “I know when we first started to cuddle, you told me I would always have to be the big spoon due to my height. But, as you can see, it doesn’t always have to be that way. You just like it when I hold you in my arms.” He really wished he wouldn’t have said that last part because his mind flashed back to the last time he had held Blaine in his arms.

**Flashback**

_Sebastian and the others ran down to the Out Building. If Blaine was as upset as Doug said, he would be hitting the heavy bag. When they reached their destination, Sebastian threw back the door and all of them gasped at what they saw._

_Blaine was beating the hell out of the heavy bag, oblivious to what was happening around him and he wasn’t wearing his gloves. His fists were to the point where they looked like raw hamburger, and there was blood everywhere._

_“Somebody call a fucking ambulance!” Sebastian screamed as he ran over to Blaine. Nick pulled out his phone, but Thad and Beat went to help Sebastian as it was obvious it would take more than one of them to bring Blaine down. Once they were able to get him situated on the ground to where Sebastian was holding him while Blaine sat between his legs, they had enough control for Thad to run to a back room for towels and the first-aid kit._

_“Hey, B…B, it’s ok.” Sebastian whispered into his ear, even though his boyfriend continued to thrash around in his arms “I’ve got you B. It’s ok. I’ve got you.” The repetition of phrasing began to calm Blaine until Thad came running back to them. The sudden movement startled him and he tried to break free._

_“It’s ok B, it was just Thad. He’s going to wrap towels around your hands to help stop the blood. Is that ok?” Sebastian said it softly but loud enough for all to hear. They realized that to keep Blaine calm, they would have to do the same._

_“Sebastian” Nick came over once his call ended “An ambulance is on the way and I called the guards. I told them no lights or sirens, but we all know nothing at Dalton stays secret for long.”_

_“We’ll deal with that later. Go tell Jeff to call his dad and Duval, nobody makes any calls to Lima. Especially you.”_

A groan from Blaine caused Sebastian to come back from the memory, for which he was thankful. He waited to see if there was a second groan, but nothing. It was like Blaine had told him to stop thinking about it. “That’s just showing off. You’re unconscious and you’re taking care of me. How am I supposed to live up to that, huh?”

Of course, there was no answer, so Sebastian scooted down until his head was on Blaine’s chest “Remember the first time we cuddled together and I told you that I was in? When I really didn’t want you to hear me, but you were fake sleeping? I know you’re not faking, but this time I want you to hear me so I’m going to talk to your heart. Is that ok?”

“I don’t know what made you do what you did, but that doesn’t matter. Whatever it was, let us help you. And I’m not just talking about me, your parents and Cooper. You have Sugar and her dad, Sam, the guys, Puck and don’t even get me started on Santana. Did you know that she has this psychic Mexican-third eye? She actually called me and when I tried to tell her that you were fine she threatened to _pull out every single one of my short hairs with a pair of tweezers_ unless I told her the truth.”

“So, I’m sorry B, but this is not one of those times when you can save yourself by yourself. It’s your own fault, you know. If you weren’t so damn warm and generous and loving and so fucking amazing, you wouldn’t have all of these people that love you so much. Just remember you love me the most. Ok, maybe your parents. Possibly Cooper and Sugar. But definitely more than everyone else, although I’m not going to argue with your uncle.”

Sleep was beginning to take over, but he wasn’t ready to leave yet. Blaine loved it when he sang the songs that he had written for him, and as easy as it would have been for him to sing _You + Me_ , Sebastian thought _Mirrors_ fit better.

 _'Cause I don't wanna lose you now_  
_I'm looking right at the other half of me_  
_The vacancy that sat in my heart_  
_Is a space that now you hold_

 _Show me how to fight for now_  
_And I'll tell you, baby, it was easy_  
_Coming back into you once I figured it out_  
_You were right here all along_

“I’m right here. Come back to me, B. Please Baby, come back.” For the first time, he let himself cry. He cried so hard that he didn’t hear the door open and then softly close.

Blaine’s father led his wife over to the chairs across from their son’s room “Pammy, he’ll be ok.”

“You don’t know that.”

“We brought in the best neurologist…”

“That’s not what I’m talking about. Charlie, we don’t know what set Blaine off. What drove him to punch something until his hands bled. What I’m afraid of is…What if we can’t help his mind? And I’m pretty sure from what we heard, Sebastian has the same fears.” Totally exhausted, she laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes for a short rest.

“Mr. and Mrs. Anderson.”

Mrs. Anderson stood up so quickly that she nearly knocked her husband off his chair. She was shaking with anger, but managed to steady herself enough to slap Kurt across the face.

“You stay the hell away from my son!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Sebastian would have never been allowed to crawl into bed with Blaine in an ICU, but go with it.


	20. The Waiting Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt is confronted about his actions by an unexpected source. At the same time, Blaine and Sebastian’s friends try to help Sebastian by keeping the mood light while they wait for Blaine to wake up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After a comment on a different story, I feel the need to once again give this reminder. This is Kurt unfriendly, very unfriendly, and will most likely get worse. Please note (again) that I would have written this character as a crazy, blackmailing ex regardless. If this stops you from reading any further, thank you for coming this far with me.
> 
> Warning: Talk of a past hate crime. Threats of violence (Lima Heights type of violence, not Fight Club)

**Friday, 5PM**

“Puck should be here soon” Jeff told the room as he came in carrying a box full of sandwiches.

“Wait, does that mean after 13 fucking hours Hummel finally got the clue to leave?” David asked in disbelief “That no one was letting him near Blaine, or for that matter Sebastian? Why now?”

“Two words…Rachel Berry.”

“Damn, they called in the big guns. Although I’m surprised his dad didn’t come get him.”

“Burt is in DC. There was a vote he had to be there for” Sam explained. “And I can’t believe they called in Rachel either.”

“You didn’t know?”

“No, I turned off my phone when the New Directions kept calling.”

Wes pulled out his phone and handed it to Sam “Well, that explains these texts from my sister checking on you.”

“Oh shit!” Sam began to panic, not knowing what to do “We’re supposed to have our first date tonight.” He let out a huff and then slunk back into his chair “This time I actually screwed up the relationship before it even began. That took real talent…Why are you all laughing at me?”

“Sam, my sister knows you are here with Blaine and will have to reschedule. At some point just please call her so she won’t come down here.”

“Plus, the two of you were holding hands the entire party on New Year’s Eve” Beat reminded him “Aren’t you two like already in a relationship.”

Sam smiled at the memory “That’s the thing. We held hands during the party but didn’t realize we were doing it until Tina pointed it out. I guess it was natural for us.”

“B and I don’t hold hands” Sebastian said as he entered the room and took a seat “I mean we have no issues with PDAs but we don’t hold hands and I don’t know why. His hands are so talented…” Sebastian stopped and laughed as his comment was met with eye rolls, groans and a chorus of TMI. “I was talking about his music, Dumb Asses. Although…”

Even though the doctors were encouraged with Blaine’s progress, Sebastian hadn’t thought about what would happen to their sex life if Blaine’s hands didn’t fully recover. Then he smiled one of his “Old Sebastian” smirks when he remembered that both he and Blaine were creative in that department, so they would be fine. There was only one problem. No one knew what Blaine’s mental state would be when he woke up.

It didn’t go unnoticed by the others how Sebastian went from smirk to stoic in an instant. Jeff decided it was his mission to lighten the mood in the room. Not only would it help Sebastian but the rest of them as well. The waiting had become excruciating. “Well, you want to know why you and Blaine don’t hold hands, Sebastian?” Jeff teased “It’s because your hands are always on the small of his back. You are constantly sliding them down to grab his ass every time you think none of us are looking.”

All of the other guys nodded in agreement. “Jeff has a point” Sam said as he tried not to laugh at the expression of shock on Sebastian’s face. It was pretty evident that he had thought no one noticed when he did that.

“Jeff has a point about what?” Puck asked as he had finally made it to the room.

“He basically said that Seb and Blaine don’t hold hands because Seb always has his hands on Blaine’s ass.”

“Hell yeah, he does!” Puck further expressed his approval by giving a confused Sebastian a high-five before taking a seat next to Beat.

Beat shook his head but couldn’t help but laugh “A sex high-five? Really, Puck?”

“Hey, I don’t care if it’s dude/girl, girl/girl or dude/dude. If one of my friends is getting sex on a regular basis, it’s worth celebrating.”

That was it. The entire room broke out in uncontrollable laughter, to the point where a nurse came in and told them to keep it down. Yeah, that only made it worse so she left in search of an adult to deal with the situation. Unfortunately for her, the adult she found was Cooper.

Those at the hospital were trying to remain optimistic but the tension in Kurt’s Navigator was undeniable. Since Kurt had not slept in over 24 hours, Finn insisted on driving home and then left his truck for Puck. Kurt was too tired to argue, but then regretted the decision when he realized that meant they had room to take Rachel with them. He expected a two hour diatribe from his former roommate and supposed best friend, but got exactly the opposite.

“Just go to sleep, Kurt” she told him as she claimed the upfront passenger seat for herself “You’re too tired and I’m too angry to talk about this now. I still can’t believe that after everything we talked about when you were in New York, you went to the hospital. Oh, by the way, Santana is ready to go all Lima Heights on your ass.”

“Rachel…”

“Go to sleep, Kurt.”

She turned her attention to Finn, ignoring Kurt’s two other attempts to get her attention. It pissed him off, but then he decided it was for the best. He really was that tired as well as being beyond frustrated that his plan had gone so wrong.

When he had overheard Puck talking on the phone with Santana, Kurt heard the opening he had been waiting for. He had screwed up at the dinner he had with Blaine and Sebastian, he admitted it. He had said things he hadn’t meant to. Hell, he called Sebastian a slut to his face, and then called his mother one as well. How was he supposed to come back from that?

Blaine being in the hospital was perfect. He would show Sebastian how he was really a kind and loving person, even if he had to fake concern for his lying, cheating ex. If nothing else he could make nice with the Andersons, now that he knew how rich they really were, just in case he wound up with Blaine. But instead that bitch had slapped him and then had Cooper drag him away without letting him see Blaine or Sebastian. He had heard Sebastian crying and just wanted to make sure he was ok. Hopefully his vigil demonstrated how much he truly cared.

Kurt knew he hadn’t been asleep long when he heard Finn telling him to wake up. Once he got his eyes open, he looked around and saw that things were not as they should be “Why are we here and where is Rachel?”

“Over by the building” Kurt quickly noticed that Finn had skipped over the part asking why they were there “Let’s get this over with.” Once they were inside the apartment building, it didn’t take long for someone to answer Rachel’s knock “Rachel? Boys? What are you doing here?” Emma Pillsbury asked.

“Sorry to bother you, Miss Pillsbury. May we speak with Mr. Schue?” Rachel requested while Finn and Kurt stood in back of her, feeling like they had been taken down to the principal’s office.

“Yes. Please, everyone come in. And since you have all graduated, call me Emma.”

Twenty minutes later, Rachel and Emma were sitting across from Will and Kurt, staring daggers at them while waiting for Finn to come back. Kurt knew to keep his mouth shut, but Will felt the need to try and explain.

“Em…” Emma gave him _the hand_ and with that he thought it best to join Kurt in silence. It wasn’t much longer until Finn came back and sat next to Will, appearing more flustered than usual.

“Did you get ahold of Puck?” Rachel asked.

“Yes. They put him in this room and I was able to have a conference call with him, Sam and Sugar. Oh, and Kitty came in at the end. Good luck with that one Mr. Schue. Although you should probably be more afraid of Sugar since she’s Blaine’s cousin and her dad could have you whacked or something like that.”

“Great” Will mumbled. That was all he needed.

“Did anyone say you could speak William?” Emma spoke to him in a tone that none of them had heard before. It was actually a little frightening. Will was about to apologize, but then realized he would have to speak to do so, so he stopped. It was a good decision. “Finn, what did Noah have to say?” Her _Miss Pillsbury_ voice was back, but the guys determined that they shouldn’t test their luck.

“Um, ok, so now he knows that Kurt found out Blaine is in the hospital because he eavesdropped on his conversation with Santana…Yeah, I don’t think I have ever heard him that pissed before. However, he said he’ll let Santana handle it.” He turned to his brother to assure Kurt got the seriousness of the situation “If she was pissed because you wouldn’t leave the hospital, think of what she’s going to do when she learns how you found out Blaine was there.”

“I’m not afraid of her!” Kurt snapped. He didn’t care that the others in the room were looking at him like he had lost his mind.

“Well, you should be” said Rachel “I don’t know what’s happened between them in the last couple of months, but Santana and Blaine are like best friends now. I’m talking Blaine and Sam or Finn and Puck best friends.”

“What about Brittany?” Finn was confused about how all of this had happened without him knowing about it.

“Brittany’s her girlfriend, it’s different.” Finn seemed to understand, so she moved on “Now, why is Noah letting Santana handle Kurt?”

“Um, he and Sam are actually more pissed at Will for telling the New Directions about Blaine when he was told not to. Not like I’m being a tattle-tale or anything, but I only told Will to explain why Kurt and I wouldn’t be there to help with Glee today. Then I told him that Cooper said the Andersons didn’t want the New Directions to know until they had more information. I think Cooper said that as a threat to me and Kurt, so he’s probably going to pissed when he finds out too.”

Emma looked directly at Will and very calmly asked “You told the New Directions about Blaine when Finn told you specifically that the Andersons didn’t want them to know?”

“They’re his friends as much as the Warblers are. They had the right to know.”

Rachel, Finn and Kurt shot glances at each other, all of them silently begging for someone to figure out how to get the hell out of there. However, Emma took care of that when she told them she would talk to them later because right then she needed to talk to her fiancée.

Alone.

Meanwhile at the hospital, the group had been moved to a larger room as Sugar, Kitty, Nick and Thad joined them. They had also been joined by Cooper as the designated adult that hospital administration insisted they have. Most of the staff were upset with the blatant _bending_ of the rules for the _over-privileged brats_ , but they didn’t care. None of them were leaving until they knew Blaine was awake, even though most of them would not be able to see him.

Puck and Sam informed the group how Kurt and Mr. Schue found out Blaine was in the hospital. When Cooper stood up to leave he was quickly reminded that he was the quote/unquote adult, which caused them all to laugh and lighten the situation. Before the conversation could pick back up, they were joined by yet another visitor that Sebastian walked over to and greeted with a hug.

“Hey, Trent.” Most of the others in the room were surprised, hell shocked, by this. Only a select few knew about the bond Sebastian and Trent had forged the night Sebastian found out Blaine was Wolverine.

“Hey, Seb. Hey, everyone. How is everything going?”

“We’re still waiting” Sebastian told him as he went back to his seat.

“Ok, about that. I thought they weren’t going to wake him up until tomorrow?”

“The swelling in his hands went down much faster than they thought it would” Sugar announced with both pride and relief “That was the only reason they were keeping him asleep. To protect his hands.”

“That’s great. Um, Seb, Cooper, can I talk to you guys for a minute out here?” The others in the room thought the request was strange, but knew if it was important they would be told.

“What did you want to talk to us about?” Sebastian asked when they were finally alone.

“Doug’s here.”

Cooper instantly started looking around “Where? He’s got his guards, right?”

“Yes, he has his guards and Doug is with your parents. My mom asked if they would be willing to talk to him. He’s really blaming himself for what happened to Blaine.”

“He had nothing to do with whatever happened. It was his fucking brother.”

“I know that Cooper, and you and Seb know that, but he doesn’t. He told me that I could tell you two that his life at home has been crap for a long time, primarily because of his brother. Years of being told that everything wrong in your family is your fault can really screw up a person.”

Sebastian reached over and put his arm around Trent “You, my friend, are going to be an awesome therapist, like your mom.”

“Thanks, Seb. So, do you think it would be ok for Doug to come down to this waiting room? He knows the Warblers would be ok with it, but he’s afraid of what Blaine’s other friends might think.”

“No, everyone with the exception of Kitty knows what happened with Doug, mostly because we had to explain all of the guards. The only problem I see is Sugar hugging him so tight that Duval gets jealous.”

“Oh, so we didn’t need to bring the bribes?”

“Bribes?” Cooper asked, but Sebastian knew exactly what Trent meant.

“Do not fuck with me Nixon. Tell me your mom baked cookies.”

“Mom baked cookies and I have two coolers of milk as well. They’re all with Doug.” Trent had barely gotten the words out before Sebastian was pulling him down the hall.

Cooper was aware he was supposed to be keeping an eye on the kids, but he needed a moment so he got one of the men to cover him. Wes had told him about Jeff’s whole _Keep the mood as light as possible plan_ and it seemed to be working for the time being. He had even told his parents and uncle about it when they were contemplating whether or not to tell at least Sebastian, Sam and Sugar that the first attempt to wake Blaine had failed. They decided to go instead with the tried and true _It’s just taking longer than they thought_ excuse.

After he had cleared his head, Cooper called over his uncle’s Head of Security “Where did he go, Dmitri?”

“Hummel, his brother and the Berry girl went back to Lima. They stopped at the apartment building where their choir teacher lives…”

“Schuster?”

“Yeah, Schuster. They stayed there for about an hour, then they went to a coffee shop called _The Lima Bean_ and then Hummel’s place. Vincent says Hummel and Berry are still there but Hudson and his mother are at a place called _Breadstix_. Ralphie is following them and he thinks he heard something about going to a movie.”

“Thanks, Dmitri. Keep me posted.” Cooper had been thrown by the stunt Kurt pulled. Sebastian had told him about the blackmail, but the guy sat downstairs for 13 hours. How did those two things go together? It didn’t make sense. With the Westerville punks under control, he knew his focus had to switch to Lima. That was until they found out why Blaine did what he did. 

Down in Lima, Vincent was in his car watching the silhouettes of a taller boy and shorter girl in the front window of the Hummel’s home. It was obvious they were arguing due to the constant overdramatic arm flailing.

“Do you care how it made me look when I let you stay with me over New Year’s holiday? How everyone from Glee Club chastised me for giving you another chance after what we found out after Sectionals?”

“It wasn’t that bad, Rachel.”

“Kurt, Mercedes called me and asked me if I had lost my fucking mind. Mercedes! I don’t even want to know what she’s going to say about the crap you pulled today.”

“Well, I had to do something!”

“We talked about this. Blaine and Sebastian are together now, so you sitting in a hospital waiting room for 13 hours isn’t some big romantic gesture. It’s creepy, especially considering Blaine was unconscious the whole time. I know you still love him…”

“Oh for the love of god, I’m not in love with Blaine. I’m in love with Sebastian!”

Outside, Vincent got out of the car and tried not to be noticed as he walked over to the Hummel’s. He wanted to get a closer look. From what he had seen, he couldn’t figure out if the tall boy had killed the small girl or if she had just fainted. A few moments later, tall boy was helping her to the couch…so, fainted. It was probably nothing, but he decided to call Dmitri anyway.

When Dmitri told Cooper about Vincent’s call, Cooper wasn’t overly worried, not yet anyway. He went back in and laughed to himself at the sight of his brother’s friends strung out around the room, in the most uncomfortable looking positions, trying to catch a few minutes of sleep before Blaine woke up. He hadn’t had the heart to tell them about the now three failed attempts to wake him, but he also knew if this latest one didn’t work he would have to. Damn, he wished they weren’t out of cookies.

He was about to text his parents for an update when he heard the fast paced clicking of high heels coming down the hall. When he turned he saw Santana in the doorway with a huge smile on her face.

“Rise and shine, bitches. Our boy is awake!”

**Saturday Morning, 8AM**

“Good Morning Sleepy Head.”

“What are you doing here, Doc?” Blaine asked as his therapist was not one of the people he had anticipated seeing when he awoke that morning “Where’s everyone?”

“I’m not anyone? I’m hurt.” Even though Dr. Shepard had only been seeing Blaine a few weeks, they had established a good rapport. He needed that be in the forefront because the two of them had issues to address that he was sure Blaine would rather avoid. Unfortunately, that was why now was the best time to do this “And your family and friends should be back around 10. They all finally went home last night to get some real sleep. I asked them not to come back too early because I thought we should talk first.”

“I know what I did was stupid” Blaine told him as he motioned toward his hands, which were bandaged but now only elevated by pillows.

“Yes, it was, but I am less concerned with what you did and more concerned with why you did it.”

“It doesn’t matter, Doc.”

He was obviously deflecting, but Dr. Shepard had anticipated this action “It matters very much, Blaine. You are extremely lucky that you didn’t destroy your hands. You think that depression you are currently fighting is bad? Think what would have happened if you were never able to play music again. But in that moment, you weren’t thinking, were you? You were feeling.” Even though Blaine refused to answer him, the doctor forged ahead “You were feeling emotions that you didn’t know how to handle. Blaine, what happened that you felt the need to punch that bag until your fists were raw?”

“Why don’t you tell me, Doc? It sounds like you think you know why.”

“Because you are the one that has to say it. Until you do, it’s not real. You can deny it, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.” Blaine shut his eyes and closed into himself. Dr. Shepard knew he was losing him. He had no choice but to go all in, even if he hadn’t planned on going there this soon “Who’s Tommy?”

Blaine opened his eyes, but they had hardened and were full of distain “Don’t you _ever_ say his name again!”

That’s more like it, the therapist told himself. It was the first time Blaine had been honest with him that morning “Fine, then why did you throw the picture of your roommate’s brother across the room?”

“No.”

“Blaine…”

“I said no!”

“Blaine, how do you know your roommate’s brother?”

Though he didn’t mean to, Blaine blurted out “He and his two drug dealing buddies were the ones that hurt Tommy!”

“And?”

Blaine took a breath that seemed to calm him a bit. It was like he had suddenly become resigned to the fact that this was really happening. “And me. They were the ones that beat the shit out of us after the Sadie Hawkins dance.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If the line “Blaine being in the hospital was perfect” makes you flashback to a particularly inappropriate canon moment from Season 2, and you were wondering “Did she do that on purpose?” the answer is YES…SHE…DID! (Ok, mini rant over)
> 
> I couldn’t in good faith leave you without telling you why Blaine did what he did. I would love comments on whether you had figured it out. I felt I was pretty good at hiding the hints for the most part, until the last couple of chapters. It was like I put in a big neon sign flashing “They’re the guys from Sadie Hawkins!” Also, this plot point will not take over the story, but it was something Blaine had to deal with if he truly was “Saving Myself” as the title states.
> 
> BTW, if I win big in Vegas, your next update will be later than anticipated :)


	21. Holy Sh*t

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian tries something drastic to help Blaine and someone else tries something drastict to prove a point.

**3 Weeks Later**

Sebastian had Blaine by the arm and had literally pulled him out of Warbler practice and back to the dorms. “What the hell are you doing?” demanded an extremely irate Blaine, but Sebastian didn’t care. He was doing this for the greater good.

“You’ve got to let up on the Warblers” Sebastian told him. “I know Regionals are only a couple of weeks away, and you’re still pissed that Schuster got the New Directions back in after we beat them at Sectionals, but everyone needs a break. Come on B, you’re the nice one. Remember? That’s how our whole co-captain dynamic works.”

“I haven’t been that bad.”

“Killer, a couple of the First Years were reminiscing about the good old days…with Hunter.”

Blaine sat down in the chair at his desk and his entire body sagged in defeat. Sebastian knelt down in front of him and made his boyfriend look him in the eyes “You know I’d help you if you would let me.”

”There’s nothing you can do. You know that.”

Sebastian took one of Blaine’s hands and ran his thumb gently across the now scared knuckles “I’m not talking about what’s going on with your case. The District Attorney, your parents, my dad and even your uncle and Cooper are taking care of that. And I’m not talking about what’s going on in here.” Sebastian used the pointer finger on his free hand to tap on Blaine’s forehead “That’s Dr. Shepard’s job. What I want to help with is here.” He moved his finger and brought it down so it now tapped on Blaine’s chest.

Blaine closed his eyes and let go of a tear as he realized where Sebastian was pointing “My heart? You think it is your job to help my heart?”

“I know it is.”

“Even if I have been the worst boyfriend in the world and wonder every day why you haven’t broken up with me?” Blaine knew he had been pushing Sebastian away but he couldn’t stop. He wasn’t the boy that Sebastian fell in love with. In fact, he didn’t know who he was anymore. He wasn’t the depressed mess he had been at McKinley, but he also wasn’t Blaine Warbler and he definitely was no longer Wolverine.

And he could never be again. The Neurologist had told him that if he even had a chance at playing music again, he had to give up fighting (or boxing as he told the doctor and his parents) forever. At the time it seemed like a no-brainer, he couldn’t bear the thought of no longer being able to play music. What he hadn’t realized was that even when he was at McKinley, he had used the heavy bag as a way to work out his frustrations. Now he didn’t have an outlet for his anger, except for First Year Warblers evidently, and unfortunately, Sebastian. He looked down at Sebastian’s thumb rubbing over his knuckles when his eyes caught sight of the band of leather around Sebastian’s wrist. It was the cuff that matched the one he had given Blaine for Christmas. The one that had the words _I’m In_ on the inside.

The one that Blaine had ruined when he got blood all over it.

When Sebastian realized what Blaine was looking at, he removed it and pulled up Blaine’s sleeve, attaching the cuff to his wrist so that it sat under the ID bracelet he wore “I’m not going anywhere, you idiot. I want you to wear my cuff until you truly believe what it says.”

“I’m in.”

“Damn right you are” Sebastian smiled and then gave Blaine a quick kiss to the tip of his nose before standing up. Without saying a word, he walked over to Beat’s (who was now Blaine’s roommate) closet and came back with something Blaine had refused to even look at for weeks…his acoustic guitar.

“Bas, I can’t.”

“Just hear me out, ok. I was talking with your mom…” The groan Blaine let out informed Sebastian that may have been the wrong thing to do, but it was too late now. “Yes, I talked to your mom, and she said you have been playing piano at home but you won’t go near your guitar, even though your physical therapist recommended it.” He sat the guitar on the bed and somehow got Blaine over to sit next to it “No one is going to bother you. Take your time. The Senior Warblers and I are taking everyone bowling…Well, I’m glad you find that funny.”

“You? Bowling? Wearing other people’s shoes? This had to be Trent’s idea.”

“Hey! We may not be Blam, but Sent is pretty damn awesome.”

“First, we need to figure out a new name for the two of you. And second, you’ve got to admit you and Trent are an odd match.”

“Says the guy whose _B_ _est Gay_ is Santana Lopez.”

Blaine had never liked the term Santana used to describe their relationship but it was far better than her original _Person I would be fucking if I wasn’t gay_. He was going to regret answering that door naked for the rest of his life. “Yeah, you got me there.” He took his eyes off of Sebastian and looked down at the guitar “I wouldn’t know where to begin.”

“You probably don’t want to hear this. Your mom suggested a song, but wouldn’t tell me what it was. She said that you could probably play the song through sheer muscle memory.”

He knew exactly what song she was talking about. It was just like his mother to play dirty “ _Beautiful_.”

“The Christina Aguilera song?”

“Did I ever tell you that my Aunt Cory taught me to play guitar?” Sebastian shook his head and wondered what Sugar’s mom had to do with this “ _Beautiful_ was her favorite song and so when she got sick, I played it for her. When she died, I played it for Sugar every night for months so she could go to sleep. It was one of the reasons I stayed with her and her dad. I’ve played it hundreds of times.”

Sebastian tried not to smile. He knew it was selfish but the more he learned about Blaine’s relationship with Sugar, the less Blaine’s move to McKinley seemed to be about Kurt. However, this wasn’t the time for that. “Maybe your mom was right” Sebastian told him “That sounds like a good place to start. Take your time and remind the OCD part of your brain that it doesn’t have to be perfect.” He really hated leaving Blaine alone, but knew he was much more likely to at least try to play if he wasn’t being watched. Instead, he put his hands on the sides of Blaine’s face and tilted it up to give him a kiss “Just call if you need me.”

Once he was out of the room, Sebastian let out a sigh of relief. He knew going in that his plan was risky at best. Hell, he had been pretty sure Blaine would smash the guitar over his head. Now that the plan seemed to have worked, he didn’t know what to do. As much as he adored Trent, there was no fucking way he was going bowling. His internal dialogue ended when he heard the sound of a guitar from behind Blaine’s door. It wasn’t fluid and several wrong notes were hit, but at least Blaine was trying. Then it stopped.

It took every fiber of his being to not run back into the room, but fortunately Blaine began to play again. This time there were no hesitations. Every note was mesmerizing, yet haunting. And then Blaine began to sing.

 _Life's too short to even care at all oh_  
_I'm losing my mind losing my mind losing control_

“Holy Shit!” Sebastian no longer had any concerns about Blaine’s hands, but he felt guilty for standing there, listening. Blaine thought he had left. Blaine had not meant for these words to be heard.

 _These fishes in the sea they're staring at me oh oh oh oh oh oh_  
_A wet world aches for a beat of a drum, oh oh_  
_If I could find a way to see this straight, I'd run away_  
_To some fortune that I, I should have found by now_  
_I'm waiting for this cough syrup to come down, come down_

“Holy Shit! Is that Blaine?” Sebastian whipped around and told Jeff to shush, but didn’t make him leave. He probably wouldn’t have anyway.

 _Life's too short to even care at all oh_  
_I'm coming up now coming up now out of the blue oh oh_  
_These zombies in the park they're looking for my heart oh oh oh oh_  
_A dark world aches for a splash of the sun oh oh_

“Holy Shit! Is that Blaine?” Thad’s interruption was met by shushes from both Sebastian and Jeff, which he did and then joined them.

 _If I could find a way to see this straight, I'd run away_  
_To some fortune that I, I should have found by now_  
_And so I run now to the things they said could restore me_  
_Restore life the way it should be_  
_I'm waiting for this cough syrup to come down_

“Holy Shit! Is that Blaine?” After Nick received the now standard response to the repeated question, all of the boys quickly turned their attention back toward Blaine’s door as the song’s tempo took a dramatic change.

 _Life's too short to even care at all oh_  
_I'm losing my mind losing my mind losing control_

When Blaine began a guitar solo, the three that had joined Sebastian each had an ah-ha moment. This whole thing had been about Blaine attempting to play his guitar again. As the solo became more demanding, perhaps even angry, they all came to the same conclusion that Sebastian had earlier, Blaine’s hands would be fine. They also came to the same conclusion that there needed to be a reason Blaine chose to play that particular song. They just didn’t know, or maybe wanted to admit, what the reason was.

 _If I could find a way to see this straight, I'd run away_  
_To some fortune that I, I should have found by now_  
_And so I run now to the things they said could restore me_  
_Restore life the way it should be_  
_I'm waiting for this cough syrup to come down_

 _One more spoon of cough syrup now whoa_  
_One more spoon of cough syrup now whoa_

“Holy Shit! Was that Blaine?” Unlike the others, Beat had been wise enough to whisper his question, but to be fair the music had stopped.

“What are you guys doing here?” Sebastian asked “Considering four of you came, it better not be just to find me.” Since Beat had been the last to arrive, he told him what was going on. “Are you fucking kidding me?” Sebastian was so pissed by what Beat told him that he turned and opened Blaine’s door, not even taking the time to announce himself.

“Damn it, Bas!” Blaine yelled having been startled by the sudden intrusion, but when he saw that Sebastian wasn’t alone he became concerned “What’s going on?”

“Killer, Schuster is in the Warblers commons. Alone. And he wants to speak to you. Alone.”

“Holy Shit!” was all Blaine said before he laid his guitar on the bed and took off toward the commons, the rest of the guys on his heels. Upon his arrival Blaine had to stop himself from laughing. Yes, Mr. Schuster was there but he was almost cowering as Trent stood in front of him, arms crossed, foot tapping and a familiar-looking snarl on his sweet, baby face.

He had definitely been spending too much time with Sebastian.

Blaine walked straight over to him, temporarily ignoring their guest “Where are the rest of the guys?”

“The Junior Warblers took them to the library to work on homework for the time being.”

“Thanks, Trent. I’ll take it from here.”

“Oh, hell no, Killer. There’s no way I’m leaving you alone with that asshole.” Sebastian said as he and the others entered the room and formed a perimeter around Blaine.

“Sebastian, I just want to talk…”

“Not happening after the crap you pulled when he was in the hospital.” Sebastian was so focused on the man in front of him that he didn’t notice that Blaine had grabbed ahold of his arm until he heard him wince “Oh god, B. Are you ok?”

“My fingers hurt, in a good way” Blaine assured him. “But Bas, I need you and the guys to leave and make some calls.”

“I’m not leaving you alone with him.”

“Jeff will stay with me. Bas, go make the calls.”

Before Sebastian could object again, Trent stepped in “Let’s go, Seb. Blaine’s got this.”

“Fine, but we will be right outside of that door.”

Once everyone was out of the room, Blaine turned his focus back to his former advisor. He had to admit, he was extremely curious to know why Mr. Schuster was there, even though it would most likely piss him off. But before they went any further, he needed to remember his manners.

After all, he is a Dalton Boy.

“I don’t believe the two of you have been formally introduced. Mr. Schuster, this is Jeff Sterling, a fellow Senior Warbler. Jeff, you’ve heard me speak of Mr. Schuster.” Jeff let out a snicker but managed to keep his cool. “Now, why are you here? And don’t try to twist things because if you haven’t guessed, at this moment calls are being made to Sam, Sugar and Kitty.” Jeff looked over at Blaine and wondered why he had left Puck’s name off of the list. It took only a quick glance back from Blaine for him to remember that Puck was keeping an eye on Kurt (through Finn). The last thing they needed was for Mr. Schuster to find out about Puck and Beat’s new found friendship.

“This week’s theme in Glee Club was _Feuds_ since there has been tension between everyone after what happened while you were in the hospital. So, I’m here to offer an olive branch and once again invite you to my wedding next Saturday.”

“No, thank you.” While he would have said no anyway, it didn’t escape Blaine that there had been no apology in the previous statement.

“I figured you’d say that, so I have a compromise. Let’s settle this in true McKinley fashion…a Diva-Off. We each provide a judge and if the New Directions win, you, and I assume Sebastian, will come to the wedding.”

“Agreed.”

“Uh, Blaine…”

“No Jeff, it’s ok.” The look in his eyes showed Jeff that Blaine truly was ok, so he took a step back and let his friend continue.

“I have a few stipulations. First of all, this is between you and me. No outside help coming up with routines. I can’t use any Warblers and you can’t use any of the New Directions, past or present. Each team performs two songs, not the same ones, just something associated with a musical diva. And when the Warblers win, you get rid of Finn, Kurt, Puck and anyone else you planned on calling in, and let the Seniors plan your Regionals performance like should be happening. I’m assuming you are holding true to form and are waiting until the last minute to come up with something.”

“Agreed.” Will hoped that Emma wouldn’t be too mad that he would have to take time from wedding prep to do this. After all, she was the one that made him come to Dalton to personally invite Blaine to the wedding. “Since this has to be before the wedding, how about one week from today?”

“Agreed. Let’s say McKinley auditorium, 4 PM? Oh, one more thing. I don’t trust you. So, I’m going to ask someone to go and make sure you aren’t getting any help. You can send someone as well, or you can trust Jeff. I will assure you that when he gives you his word as a Dalton Boy, he will keep it.”

“Agreed, and as a sign of good faith, I will trust Jeff with monitoring outside participation. See you all next week. Blaine, Jeff.” When Will open the doors to leave he found Sebastian and all of the rest of the Warblers, but they let him by without incident. They were more interested in what Blaine and Jeff had to say. When Blaine explained what he had agreed to, he was met with 16 pairs of eyes looking at him like he had lost his mind.

“Blaine, how are we supposed to do all of this?” Thad asked for the group. “Right now we only have one song for Regionals and we can’t seem to get it to come together.”

For some reason that excited Blaine. He ran over to the desk and wrote something on the outside of a folder before rejoining the group “The problem is not the routine, it’s the song.” He stopped momentarily for the expected groans of frustration before he continued. “Listen, the theme for Regionals is _Tell us_ _who you are_. The song we chose doesn’t say who we are, but how people see us.” Blaine held up the folder which had the title of a different song on it “This is who we are.”

“Holy Shit! He’s right” Trent’s cheeks immediately went red. He meant what he said, he just didn’t swear very much.

Maybe he had been spending too much time with Sebastian.

Trent’s enthusiasm only fueled Blaine’s “And the routine fits, but it would need a couple of tweeks.”

“Tweeks?” Nick asked.

Blaine handed the folder to Jeff and walked over to a couple of Second Years “This song has a much stronger bass line. Jackson, Aiden, I know you guys have been leery about working with Beat and Kevin, but I know you two can do this.” Both boys happily agreed to that change, but Blaine had one more so he turned back to the group “And this is not just going to be just me and Bas. All Senior Warblers have a part and yes Beat, that means you will sing something.”

While everyone else was laughing and teasing Beat, Blaine looked over at his boyfriend who was sporting an _Old Sebastian_ smirk. “You’ve been awfully quiet.”

“I’ve agreed with everything you’ve said, I just have one question. What are we going to do for this little Diva-Off you’ve gotten us into?”

“That’s easy. I’m going to do a solo for the second song and the first song is done. The guys will pick it up quick.”

“How are you going to pull something from the archives, Killer? You can’t have any Warbler help.”

Blaine walked over, gingerly took hold of Sebastian’s jacket and pulled him in for the most passionate kiss they had shared in weeks (which didn’t go unnoticed by the rest of the Warblers who stopped what they were doing and tried not to watch) “Who said it was something from the Warblers? I’ve got to go. See you when I get back.”

He was almost out the door when Jeff called out “You’re forgetting something, Anderson. We still don’t have a second song for Regionals.”

“Open the folder, Sterling.”

Jeff couldn’t get the folder open fast enough “Holy Shit! That son-of-a-bitch did it! He’s back. He’s really back!”

“Who?” Thad asked.

“Blaine Warbler!” Jeff held up the folder so everyone could see the sheet of paper on top… _Regionals Song #2/Music and Lyrics by Blaine Anderson_

Everyone began to chatter, but stopped when they heard Sebastian snicker. “What’s so funny?” Jeff asked.

“The guy that just left, that wasn’t Blaine Warbler. That guy was Wolverine.”

A half hour later, Dr. Shepard noted the change in Blaine’s demeanor the moment he entered his office “You seem to be in a good mood today.”

“That’s because I am.”

“Care to explain?”

“Ok, but after I explain everything, I need to ask you for a favor.” Blaine did tell him everything, but he was obviously the most animated when he talked about Mr. Schuster. How confronting his former advisor had gotten his “creative juices” flowing for the first time in weeks. How he didn’t want to hurt his McKinley friends, but he wanted to crush him in the Diva-Off. And he didn’t want to just crush him, he wanted to embarrass him.

Listening to Blaine speak like that concerned his therapist “Blaine, I really think we need to take a step back and discuss your anger issues again.”

The last thing he expected was for Blaine to start laughing at him “Doc, this isn’t anger. This is show choir.”

“Blaine…”

“No, I can prove it.” Blaine got out his phone and smiled when the person he called actually answered. “Hey…Yes…Yes, I’m doing much better. Do you have a few minutes?...Good. I’m with someone that doesn’t believe me when I tried to tell him how cut-throat show choir could be. I thought you would be the perfect person to talk to him about it…Thanks. I’m going to go ahead and put you on speaker.” He put his phone down on the table in front of Dr. Shepard and then asked “Rachel? Can you hear me?”

Forty-five minutes later, Blaine put his phone back in his pocket. It had been a good thing he still scheduled two hour appointments “Believe me now?”

“Yes, but Blaine was that really necessary? I mean, I’m sure Rachel is a lovely person, but…”

“She’s a bit much?”

“You think?” They both began to laugh until they were each doubled over, with tears running down their faces. When they finally caught their breath, Dr. Shepard asked “So, what’s the favor you needed?”

Meanwhile in Lima, Kurt was in the middle of an intense phone conversation “I told you, Travis. There’s nothing I can do. Ever since Blaine went into the hospital I can’t get near either him or Sebastian, but it won’t be for much longer. I’m going to see them next week when they come to McKinley.”

“Fine, I’ll give you 10 more days. But if I don’t see $10,000 in my bank account that day, I’ll tell that Santana chick everything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cough Syrup (Glee Version): Cannata, Eric; Comtois, Francois; Hashemian, Ehson; Gadhia, Sameer; Tilly, Jacob 2010
> 
> I promise that I planned on using Cough Syrup here all along. It is hands down my favorite Glee song. This is the first time I felt it fit into something I wrote. It has nothing to do with the fact that Darren teased it for Elsie Fest. Blaine’s decision to sing that particular song (and what was going on when he originally sang it) will be addressed soon. 
> 
> The Diva-Off will combine different themes from canon episodes 4x13 (Diva), 4x16 (Feud) as well as others I will note at the time. This is the “I do not own anything from or affiliated with the television program Glee” portion of the note.


	22. The Decisions We Make Today

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are decisions Blaine is not ready to make, but he couldn’t be happier about ones that Cooper has made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter mentions both violence and suicidal thoughts. There will also be a defensive strategy taken that some (or all) might find offensive. 
> 
> On a lighter note, there are other “activities” in this chapter that would be considered mature ;).
> 
> To those that asked, I’m sorry this chapter is later than I said it would be. This is not the chapter that was planned. After the last chapter there were a couple of things I felt I needed to address before moving forward.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading.

**Early, early, early the next morning**

Sebastian couldn’t remember if he had actually been to this part of Dalton. Why had Blaine wanted to meet in the Music Department’s practice rooms of all places? And why did they have to meet at midnight? And why were there no lights on? Sebastian turned a corner and saw light from an open door. He assumed that would be where Blaine was and hopefully he would get answers to some of his questions.

He was right. Blaine was leaning against a piano in pajama pants and a t-shirt, surrounded by dozens of battery-operated candles “Glad you found me. Why don’t you come in and shut the door?”

“What are we doing here, B?”

“You’ve been so patient with me, Bas. You can’t begin to comprehend how much I appreciate it...”

“Did you write me a new song?” Sebastian blurted out, excited about the idea of adding to the I-Pod Blaine gave him for Christmas. While he liked the song Blaine wrote for Regionals, he loved songs Blaine wrote for him.

“No and I have no intention of playing this piano.”

“Then why are we here?”

Blaine flashed a devious grin and walked closer. Even with the dimmed lighting, Sebastian could see the expression in his boyfriend’s eyes change to one that he hadn’t seen in 3 weeks, 2 days and 5 hours.

Not that he was counting.

Once Blaine was in front of him he started to undress “We’re here because I’m going to bend you over that piano and fuck you six ways to Sunday.” The now naked Blaine asked his mesmerized boyfriend, in that particular tone that Sebastian had missed more than he realized “You have been a good boy, haven’t you?”

He had barely finished the question before Sebastian answered “Yes sir, I’ve been a very good boy.”

“Yes, you have. That is why I have another, special gift for you. Would you like to know what it is?”

“Yes, sir.”

Instead of answering, Blaine removed Sebastian’s shirt and pulled him into a not so innocent kiss. Then as his lips began to work their way down Sebastian’s body, he said “The room is soundproof.”

Even with Blaine sabotaging his ability to think clearly, Sebastian knew what that meant. He wanted to be upset about all of the times he had to control himself, but the instant he felt Blaine’s lips wrap around his dick, nothing else mattered.

A few hours (and two trips to the coffee cart) later, the boys were on their way to class like nothing happened. Being Friday, all Dalton students had Advisory first thing in the morning. The Senior Warblers all had the same advisor, and as they walked Blaine told the others of his call to Rachel and Dr. Shepard’s reaction. They were still laughing when they entered the class room, but instantly stopped seeing that there were only three people there…Head Master Montgomery, Sebastian’s father and Cooper.

Head Master Montgomery stepped forward “Blaine, Trent, I need you both to come with me.”

Blaine looked around in confusion before his eyes settled on his brother “Coop?”

“Blaine, you and Trent go ahead. I’ll catch up later.” For some reason, the fact that Cooper hadn’t referred to him as Squirt or Blainey demonstrated how serious the situation was, so Blaine didn’t argue and did what he had been told. Sebastian was a different story.

“Dad, what the hell’s going on?”

“I can’t say, son. But…”

“What the fuck do you mean…”

“Sebastian!” Mr. Smythe walked over and put his hands on his son’s shoulders to calm him down “I am not here as your dad. I am here as Blaine’s lawyer.” He glanced over at Cooper hoping Sebastian would get the clue that even though he was hampered by attorney/client confidentiality, Blaine’s brother wouldn’t be. “Now, the reason I stayed behind was to tell you boys that the Warblers are on lockdown for the weekend. Everyone’s parents will be notified. Do what you have to, hold an emergency marathon practice for Regionals or something like that, but no one goes in or out.”

“Dad?”

“Sebastian, I can’t say anything because Blaine doesn’t know what’s going yet. I’m sure if you think about it, the fact that Trent went with him should give you a topic to refer to. Ok?”

“Ok. I’m sorry for my outburst.”

“I will not say that your behavior was acceptable, but it was understandable.” Mr. Smythe then pulled Sebastian in and kissed his cheek. When Sebastian playfully wiped it away like he did when he was a small child, everyone laughed which lightened the mood for the moment. His father patted the cheek and then headed toward the door, but turned to say “I promise to take care of Blaine, so promise me something. Call your mother sometime today. She misses her darling boy.”

“I came home for dinner three days ago.” Sebastian reminded him.

“I know.” His father gave him a wink and then left, leaving Blaine’s brother to answer questions.

With all attention on him, Cooper sat on the teacher’s desk and said “Before you guys bombard me with questions, let me tell you what I am allowed to say. It will make this process easier.” He took a deep breath to steady himself. He already knew this wasn’t going to go over well.

While Cooper was getting drilled across campus, there was a gathering in the conference room adjacent to the Head Master’s office. Blaine had been joined by his parents, his uncle, Mr. Smythe and Dr. Shepard. Trent was actually there as part of the support team for Doug which also consisted of Trent’s parents, Doug’s attorney and therapist. They had all just listened to presentation from the District Attorney and a federal prosecutor. Needless to say, no one was happy with what they heard.

“He’s lying. Earl’s not gay” Doug said over and over again as he cried into Trent’s mom’s shoulder. Since Doug’s parent had not fought the order of protection, Molly and her husband immediately applied for, and were granted, foster parent status. She had cried when Doug told her that had been the first time that anyone had cared enough to fight for him. Ever since then she went into total Mama Bear mode whenever she thought her Baby Boy was being threatened.

Speaking of Momma Bears “Xavier, why the fuck does this even matter? Why does it matter if that son-of-a-bitch is gay or not?” Blaine’s mom asked as her husband had his arms around their son. Blaine in turn, went to a place in his mind where he focused on the absurdity that his mother had said the word fuck. Everything else was impossible to believe.

“Pam, Stafford’s lawyers argued that he is innocent, but if he had committed the crime, it couldn’t be a hate crime because he is also gay” Sebastian’s dad told her. “A judge bought it and kicked it back to state court where he was given bail. But remember, we will appeal and he does have to wear an ankle bracelet so we can keep track of him.”

Mr. Anderson turned to Uncle Robert “What about the plea deal the other two made?” Blaine shook his head, not at the mention of Wyatt and Toby, but the way in which his father talked to his uncle. Perhaps the most surreal thing about this entire situation was how all the animosity between his parents and uncle disappeared. Gone, just like that. It made him happy. It made Sugar ecstatic.

The District Attorney answered for him “The deal we made with them was to testify against Mr. Stafford and that doesn’t change if the case is transferred to state court.” It wasn’t the answer Mr. Anderson was seeking, so again he looked over to his brother-in-law. Robert gave him nod which was his way of saying _I’ll tell you what’s really going on later_.

There was one topic that Blaine forced himself to address “What about...?”

Mr. Smythe stopped him before he could go any further. He knew what Blaine wanted to know, but Doug and the Nixon’s were not a part of it “They said no, Blaine. I’m sorry.”

“I know, Mr. S.” Blaine said in defeat. He had hoped the answer would be different, but knew it wouldn’t be.

Molly saw the expression on Blaine’s face and asked Mr. Montgomery “Is there another room we can go to? I think it’s time for each of us to discuss where we go from here as families.”

Mr. Montgomery led Doug’s group to a different room. All of the lawyers involved also left to speak among themselves, leaving Blaine alone with his parents and Dr. Shepard “Do you know what you want to do Blaine?” his therapist asked.

“Besides going back 24 hours? Nope.”

“Honey, this is new” his mother reminded him “You don’t have to know decide anything right now. Just know that we'll support you no matter what.”

“Can I make a suggestion?” Dr. Shepard asked and the Anderson’s nodded for him to continue “Blaine needs someone to talk to outside of this. I know you, the Staffords and the other victim’s family have gotten the courts to agree to and to keep everyone’s name sealed since this happened when they were all minors, but that information may eventually come out if the press has anything to do with it. So, whoever Blaine choses needs to be someone you trust and this may sound crass, but it should be someone who is gay. I was going to recommend my husband, but Blaine has only met him once and he is currently putting in some ridiculous hours as he and his brother open a new practice together.”

“Are they also psychologists?” Mr. Anderson asked.

“No, dentists. So, Blaine, what do you think?”

“I know who to call.” Before he could say who, Cooper came in. “Can I talk to Coop first and then make the call?” The others left so the two of them could speak alone, but only after Blaine agreed to a session with Dr. Shepard when he was done.

“How’s Bas?” was, of course, the first question Blaine asked.

“Pissed. Worried about you, Trent and Doug. So are the rest of the guys.”

“Did you explain why we’re on lockdown?”

“About the threats made to you and Doug? Yeah.”

Blaine leaned over and rested his head on his big brother’s shoulder. He liked the feeling. “Why is this happening Coop? I don’t want this. I want to go to Julliard and be Blaine Anderson, performer. Not Blaine Anderson, gay performer that survived a hate crime.”

Cooper put his arm around him and pulled him even closer. In that moment, he didn’t have an answer for Blaine, but he would figure it out. He wasn’t there for his brother when he was attacked. He was around when he had his eye surgery, but not supportive. He knew he had fucked up, so he was going to do everything possible to help Blaine live out his dreams. No matter what.

He could finally feel Blaine relax, but there was one more thing to bring up “You know Squirt, due to the way you recognized your attackers, Fight Club will come out.”

“I know and I planned on talking to the guys about it tonight. They’re probably going to be upset when I tell them what I did.”

“What did you do Blaine?”

“I hid the money. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner.”

Cooper pulled away to try and read Blaine’s expression. He was serious, and eerily calm “How?”

“My father is the Chief _Financial_ Officer at Ford, my uncle has mob ties and you were stealing my allowance from the time I was five. I know how to hide money.” The brothers laughed at how nonsensical what Blaine had said was. It wasn’t necessarily a skill set one would put on a job resume, but for them it seemed natural. When they settled down, Blaine asked “You’re still going to Lima, right? And you have Sam’s gifts?”

“Yes, to both counts. Did you get a chance to talk to him?”

“It was my one phone call” Blaine answered, making it sound like he had been arrested. “I’m just upset we have to reschedule. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to see him before his birthday on Tuesday.”

“But you’ll see him for sure on Thursday at that Diva-Off thing and then later at _Sugar Shack 2.0_. Plus, Sugar and Kitty are going to film his reaction to the gift everyone got him. Now, are you sure you still want Hummel present when we do this?”

“Yeah, call Puck. I still think reminding him I never told him how wealthy our family is will be what makes him crack, at least until we get a handle on how much trouble Burt is facing. He’s been too quiet since he pulled that stunt at the hospital. Something’s not right, so it’s time to move forward. Santana has an eye on Travis, so we’re covered there. I’m not letting my delusional ex blackmail Bas or anyone else I care about.”

“What about Sebastian’s family secret?”

“If Kurt truly has feelings for Bas like Hunter said, I don’t see how he would ever let that out. Of course, this is Kurt we are talking about.” Blaine paused for a moment and then said with full sincerity “I’m really going to miss you when you go back to LA.”

“I’m not going back and before you protest, let me explain.”

“Ok, but is this about…”

“You? Yes, you and Sugar. Things with my career haven’t been going well for a while and my Thanksgiving talk with Dad put things in perspective. Then I spent time over the holidays with you and Sugar and all of the crazies you have in your life and I wanted to be around more, at least until you go take New York by storm. And when you leave someone has to help watch out for our baby cousin. You’re not the only one I’ve failed, Blaine.”

Blaine jumped over, grabbed his brother around the neck and squeezed tight, hoping to convey how truly happy he was. When he sat back down, he wiped his eyes and asked “But what are you going to do? There’s not a big need for guys that are good at pointing around here.”

“Haha, Mr. Comedian. I’m buying a restaurant.”

“Cooper, that’s perfect for you. Have you found one?”

“Actually, I have. I’m buying Breadstix.”

As agreed, once Cooper left Blaine sat down for a session with his therapist, but Dr. Shepard was having a difficult time getting the conversation started. He could see Blaine closing into himself, like he had when he tried to talk to him in the hospital. At that time, he thought it would be best to leave the two really big topics on the table. They were just too hard for his patient at the time and so _The List_ was formed. With everything that had happened that day, they should be addressing them. However, at the moment there was something more pressing “Tell me about _Cough Syrup_.”

Blaine’s expression immediately went from indifferent to stunned, then he figured it out. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and counted to 10 before he reopened them “Sebastian. When?”

“He had called before you arrived yesterday for your appointment. He was worried.”

“Why didn’t you bring this up then?”

“Honestly, when you arrived your behavior was pretty much the exact opposite of what I was expecting. It threw me off. Then Rachel happened.” There was no need for further explanation with that. “So?”

“It’s one of my favorite songs. I was butchering _Beautiful_ , and I couldn’t keep going. I couldn’t do that to Aunt Cory’s song.”

“Blaine?”

“Doc?”

“Will you play the song for me?”

“Why? It sounds like you’ve heard it before.”

“I have, but Sebastian said I should hear your version.”

“Fine, have Bas or Beat get my guitar from my dorm room.” While he agreed to the request, his body language said he was unhappy about it “But, if you ever talk with my boyfriend again, or anyone else that claims they’re (air quotes) worried about me, I’ll fire your ass. Not only that, I’ll report you for violating confidentiality.”

Ok, there was the Blaine he had heard about “There is an exception when it comes to confidentiality. Blaine, are you thinking of harming yourself?”

“No.”

“Were you thinking about harming yourself when you thought you were going to be unable to play your music?”

“No.”

“You’re answering these questions quickly.”

“There’s nothing to think about.”

“I’ll except that, but what about in the past?”

“Yes.”

“Damn it Blaine, stop with the fucking one word answers. When did you think about harming yourself?” Wow, Dr. Shepard couldn’t believe he had said that, but one of the things Blaine liked about him was his _No Bullshit_ attitude. On the other hand, he had threatened to report him to the medical board.

He saw Blaine release the tension in his body and slouch back into the couch. He hoped that was a good sign. “Blaine?”

“I thought about killing myself after the beating.”

“Any other time?”

“No.”

“Not even after what happened with Tommy?”

“List.”

“Blaine, you’re going to have to talk about Tommy and after today...”

“I said List!” The moment he said that, well yelled it, there was a knock at the door “Come in!”

Mrs. Anderson tentatively opened the door “I’m sorry to interrupt but Rachel’s dads are here.”

**Meanwhile at McKinley**

“Cooper, may I help you.” Cooper Anderson was the last person Will expected to see walk into the choir room, especially when he heard how pissed Cooper was after he had told the New Directions about Blaine being in the hospital.

“Oh no, don’t mind me. I’m here to observe.”

Will didn’t understand, until... “You are the observer Blaine sent?”

“You seem surprised. Did you think Blaine would forget?”

Well, with everything going on he did think Blaine would forget, but he couldn’t say that “No, I just thought he’d ask Sam.”

“He didn’t want to put Sam in that position.” Damn, he wanted to punch Schuster’s face in. “Don’t worry, Blaine made me take some sort of pledge that I would not interfere. I’m here to make sure you’re not getting any help, that’s it. Let me make this clear, even though my loyalty is always with my little brother, I would never hurt Sugar, Sam or any of their friends by trying to sabotage their performance. Plus, I’m pretty sure if I hurt Brittany, Santana would cut my balls off. So, before everyone arrives, I’m assuming you heard the news about Blaine.”

“I heard that one of the suspects from the cold-case hate crime was released on bail. I assumed they were talking about Blaine’s case.”

Cooper looked around to make sure they were alone “Good. Now you listen to me. A lot of people have put in a lot of effort to make sure Blaine’s name stays out of the press. The only problem any of us see with keeping it that way is you.”

“Cooper, let me apolo…”

“Shut up. I won’t believe you, but remember this. If any of us that love Blaine find out you opened your mouth like you did when he was in the hospital, we will destroy you. Completely and utterly destroy you. Like you won’t be able to get a job as a lounge singer at the Lima Airport, destroyed.”

“The Lima Airport doesn’t have a lounge.”

“Exactly.”

Before Will could answer, Cooper was almost knocked over when Sugar ran in and attached herself to his waist “Cooper, please tell me it’s not true. Please tell me they didn’t let out the guy that hurt Blainey.”

“Wow, that got out fast. Sug, how did you find out?” Sugar stepped back and pulled out her phone, showing him the news alert. He was thankful that the article didn’t mention Blaine’s name or why Earl got bail, only that he did. Hopefully that meant things were contained, at least for the time being.

He handed back the phone and kissed the top of her head before he walked over to a clearly distraught Sam and pulled him into a hug. Sam had just calmed down when Cooper heard a huff of exasperation. He glanced over at the door and saw Kurt standing in between Puck and Finn, obviously unhappy that Cooper was there. Guess he was still upset that neither he or his parents would let Kurt anywhere near Blaine (or Sebastian) when Blaine was in the hospital.

Damn, he wanted to punch Kurt’s face in. Of course, with everything going on, he knew it was wrong to think like that, but...

“Hi, guys. Can I speak to all of you a minute?” Cooper asked, without bothering to consult Will. He had promised Blaine he would play nice, but that could wait “Some of you may remember me” Cooper stopped mid-sentence. The guy from the annoying commercials wasn’t who he was anymore. “Let me rephrase, I’m Cooper Anderson, Sugar’s second favorite cousin.” That was better. The kids got a laugh out of it. “I’m also Blaine’s brother. I am assuming most of you heard the news about what happened today, and I’m sure you noticed, Blaine’s name was not in any of the reports. That was done on purpose and we want to keep it that way. We are asking that you not tell anyone that you know who the hate crime victim is.” No matter what anyone said, he would always call what happened to Blaine a hate crime.

“I promise, none of us would do that to Blaine. He’s our friend.” Artie told him, while giving his advisor a side-eye.

“Good, that’s all I needed to hear. I’m going to go sit back and observe. Mr. Schuster can explain.” Cooper found a seat and then texted his parents with what he had found out. That done, he did actually sit back and observe. He had to admit that what the New Directions were doing was really good and totally different from what the Warblers had planned. The judges could easily go either way.

When they started taking breaks, Cooper found Sam talking to Puck, Finn and Kurt, who for some reason appeared distracted. It was subtle, but enough for Cooper to want to investigate further. As he started toward them, Brittany handed him her phone. It wasn't even close to his ear and he could hear someone yelling in Spanish. Yeah, he should probably take care of that. Ten minutes later, after he promised Santana that he would make sure Blaine called her, he was finally able to reach Sam.

“Hey, Sammy boy, Blainers and Seb were sorry they had to cancel your plans.”

“I know it can’t be helped, but it was supposed to be a double date to celebrate my birthday. Plus, the thought of having to reschedule with Narissa, _AGAIN_ , totally sucks.”

“Why don’t you just go anyway?” Finn asked.

“I was going to stay the night at Blaine’s and I lent my truck to my dad. Blaine told me I wouldn’t need it.” Sam answered, but then turned to Cooper “Wait, are you taking me to your house?”

“In a way.” He handed Sam a small wrapped box and said “Happy Birthday.”

Sam smiled and ripped open the package, but was confused when he found a key ring with what looked like a house key, a garage door opener and a bob with his name on it “I don’t get it.”

Cooper reached over, put Sam in a headlock and then rubbed a noogie onto the top of his head “It’s a key to our house, you goof!” he said as he let go. “You don’t need Blaine to stay at Casa Anderson. In fact, mom has started referring to the third guest room as Sam’s Room.”

“Your mother is a wonderful woman” Puck chimed in. Blaine had told him about Puck’s little crush on their mother and he was right. It was creepy.

“This is awesome, but why the garage opener? There’s no room for my truck. Isn’t your dad going to build a new multi-vehicle structure now that Blaine’s three vehicles take up so much room in the current garage?”

Cooper heard Kurt let out that huff again. Maybe the plan was working, but he didn’t think that was the cause. Either way, they were about to find out. “You’re right, there is no room for your truck.” Then he made sure that Sugar and Kitty were filming this as he pulled a fob out of his pocket and said “But, there’s room next to Blaine’s Harley for yours.”

Sam stared at the fob and then Cooper saw the change in his expression as he obviously had one of his now famous epiphanies. Without saying a word, he ran out of the room (with everyone else following). Once he reached the parking lot, there was a motorcycle with a big red bow on it. It was just like Blaine’s only when the sun hit it, you could see that the color had a deep emerald tint.

“No fucking way!” Sam exclaimed as he went over and straddled it. “This is too much.”

“Before you say anything else, know that his is not just from my parents. Your parents, Blaine, Sugar and her dad, Seb, the Senior Warblers and I all contributed. Face it Sammy boy, you’re one of the family. The other little brother I never wanted.”

“I get the first ride!” Brittany proclaimed as she and the others descended on Sam’s gift to check it out. That was, all of the others except one. Cooper went back to the choir room and found Kurt picking up sheet music that had been tossed across the room.

“Spill it, Hummel. This is not a bitch fit over Sam’s gift. You were in some sort of mood when you walked through the door.”

Kurt tried to fight it, but couldn’t “I need $10,000.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I understand Blaine wound most likely need some sort of stool to have Sebastian over a piano, but I didn’t want to ruin the mood.
> 
> The reason Dr. Shepard recommended Blaine talk to someone outside his inner circle, and why he asked Rachel’s dads, will be discussed in depth soon. Cough Syrup will also require further discussion. (The chapter got really long)
> 
> In an earlier chapter I used I Dreamed a Dream, and Darren put it out as a single. I used Cough Syrup, and he sang it at Elsie Fest. So, I’m taking requests. A Klaine song that should have been Seblaine perhaps? A Rachel song that Sebastian should have sung to proclaim his love for Blaine? I have the Diva-Off and Regionals ready to go, but there are many more opportunities, like the Sugar Shack :) Be creative!


	23. Prep School Porn and the BDSM Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> His friends must be playing some sort of joke. Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the next few chapters I will be drawing more than usual from canon (All Seasons), but using those items/dialogue as I see fit (aka…fixing them). This is the part where I declare that I have nothing to do with (or own any part of) the television series Glee.
> 
> Per the title, this chapter is Rated M. Warning: Mention of thoughts of underaged sex

Blaine was in the math lab with Trent, trying to complete his Calculous assignment. His teacher didn’t seem to care that he had things like the Diva-Off, Sugar Shack 2.0, Regionals and Valentine’s Day happening in the next 10 days. Or that his Julliard audition was in a month and his fingers still hurt when he played any instrument. Or that the day before, he found out he was somehow a finalist at NYADA when he hadn’t applied there. How did that happen?

Or what about that he, Sebastian and all of the other Senior Warblers had been subpoenaed to testify in Dalton’s case against the former Head Master. Or that he had to go to court in two weeks when Wyatt and Toby were sentenced. Or that Earl was still out on bail. Or that Tomm…Nope, not going there.

Who was he kidding, Blaine knew exactly what his problem was and it wasn’t math or any of those other things. It was the fact that at that very moment, Sebastian was in the counseling offices setting up his three college site visits…Harvard, Columbia and Stanford. Yes, that Stanford. They had promised they would not interfere with the other’s college decision. He just never thought Sebastian could wind up in California.

“You’ve got this, Blaine” Trent told him as they packed away their study material. “I don’t understand why you feel you still need my help. You weren’t as bad off as you thought you were after last year’s _Academic Detour_ , as you like to call it.”

“Maybe not with other subjects, but with math, definitely. You have saved my ass on more than one occasion, my friend.”

“Duh, why do you think Seb likes me so much? He likes having your ass around. And when I say ass, I mean ass, but I’m sure he likes your other parts too.”

Before Blaine could comment, Jeff practically ran into the room and slid into their table ”Blaine, I need to talk to you.”

Trent put his hands on his chest to symbolize (mockingly) that his heart was broken “I feel so loved.”

Jeff mocked back, “I’m so sorry that upon my arrival I did not show you the proper amount of affection I feel for you, Warbler Nixon. You are both a gentleman and a scholar. You are the glue…”

“Shut Up.” Trent smiled as he stood. He was happy that he had gotten over his bashfulness and had finally, truly bonded with the guys. Sebastian liked to say that his movie night porn marathon (both straight and gay for quote/unquote _Educational Purposes_ ) had been the perfect team building exercise to help him out. Wow, that sounded dirty. “I have to go anyway. I have an appointment with Miss Meyer in 15 minutes. Hey Blaine, did she find out anything about you being a NYADA finalist?”

“You’re a finalist at NYADA?” Jeff asked. When Blaine nodded, Jeff looked at him with wonderment and whispered “You didn’t even apply there. You are the Alphiest _Alpha Gay_ ever.”

“Shut Up” Blaine responded, but he had to agree with his friend. It was pretty damn Alpha Gay. Not that he would say that out loud. “Miss Meyer checked into it and it’s legit. I’m going to talk to Rachel when I see her, until then, I’m not going to worry about it.”

“Are you going to at least audition?”

“I don’t know.”

Blaine and Jeff left along with Trent since they were getting the stink-eye from the math lab supervisor. He had a point, they had been talking a lot. For some reason, Jeff insisted that they didn’t go back to the dorms, so they found one of the more out-of-the-way sitting areas. “Ok, what’s up?” Blaine asked.

“Remember when you sent me that text you thought you were sending to Seb?”

How could he not, it was one of the Top 10 most embarrassing moments of his life. And he had sung at theme parks. “Vaguely.”

“How did the two of you do it? You know, get him to be silent when he came?”

Yup, still embarrassing “What does it matter? You and Duval have been wanking off in the same room for four years. Hell, you’ve wanked off together while watching porn. But I swear to god, if I ever hear about him shooting his spunk with the name of my sweet baby cousin on his lips, I will…”

“I’m seeing someone!” Jeff interrupted before Blaine could get any further “Secretly, and for a while now.”

“Good for you. Why the secret? Do we know her?”

“It’s Nichole.”

Blaine knew he had heard that name, but where?...Oh shit! “Nichole? Nichole Duval? You’re rubbing your chub with her brother, your best friend, in a bed ten feet from you? What’s wrong with you?! You have to tell him. Not about the masturbating part, I’m sure he knows that. The seeing his sister part.”

“We planned on telling him when he and I went to Harvard for our site visit, but things have become more intense lately. You know, electronically.”

“So, you two are sexting while Nick is sleeping?”

“Sexting, facetime, emailing pictures. Fuck Blaine, she does this thing where she pinches her nip…”

“Stop! Just. Please. Stop.”

Jeff quieted down as he noticed that guys passing by had begun to stare “Every night I get louder and this morning Nick complained about it. That’s why you have to help me. How did you get Seb to be quiet?”

Without thinking, Blaine blurted out “I stuck my dick down his throat about a hundred times so he came over and over again without being able to say anything.” Ok, new Top 10 moment.

But, Jeff wasn’t fazed at all “So, I guess that won’t work for me. Although, I have thought about…you know, seeing what it’s like…”

Blaine held out his hand to get him to stop talking so he could answer a text he had just received. Hopefully it would be something to get him the hell out of this conversation.

 _From Bibbi: Charming, told Santana she could have jet Thursday AM as long as back by 8AM Monday._  
_From Blaine: Thanks so much. Dad’s taking his when takes Mom to the house in Hawaii for Valentine’s._  
_From Bibbi: Anything for you_  
_From Blaine: Love you too_

“Ok, I can’t solve your vocal problem, but I can get Nichole here for the weekend so you two can tell Nick. Ask her and if she says yes, I’ll text you the information. Just do me a favor and when you tell him, remind Nick that Regionals are the next week and that we need you.”

Jeff leaned over and gave him a hug “About the other thing. Do you think if I used a dildo…”

The look on Blaine’s face convinced him not to finish the sentence, so he just left.

The only thing Blaine wanted to do in that moment was go take a very long, very hot shower to get some of the ick off of him, but he thought he had better call Santana while he was still thinking about it “Hey, Tana.”

“Charming! Can I tell you how much I love your Godmother? I mean, I don’t understand why people say such shit about her.”

“First, only she calls me Charming. Second, you don’t understand because you see herself in her, which is a good thing in my book. Anyway, I called to make sure that there’s room on the plane for one more. It’s Nichole Duval, Nick’s sister. Both Wes and Dave know her and I think the two of you would get along really well.”

“More than enough room. Right now it’s just me, the guys, Rachel and Quinn is coming down from Yale. Oh, and Finn.”

Huh? “Finn Hudson?”

“Fuck, I didn’t tell you. You remember how I was sure Brody was up to something?”

“You mean he actually was a drug dealer?”

“No, better, well not for Rachel. He’s a gigolo.” Blaine spent the next few minutes listening in shock while Santana told him (again) about her Mexican, psychic third-eye, how she managed to track Brody at work and her decision to call Finn. Then for reasons he would probably never understand, he explained to Finn the proper way to punch someone in the face without hurting your hand.

Doc was going to love that one.

Once that was done, he started to text Sebastian to say he was going to take a shower before Warbler practice, but he stopped when Thad sat next to him “Blaine, I need to talk to you.”

Not this shit again “Thad, I’m sorry, but I need a shower before practice. Can we…”

“I need to go see Santa.”

Blaine was about to start on a tirade when…OH! _That Santa_. “How do you know about Santa?”

“Don’t be mad at Seb. I’m just so horny, Blaine. Kitty’s just 16 and sure we play Head Mistress and the Naughty School Boy sometimes…”

“Stop!” What the hell was going on with these guys today? Yeah, so he wasn’t one to talk, but still, TMI! “What do you know?”

“That you and Seb got into the shop using your fake IDs, but the guy behind the counter recognized you and knew you weren’t 21.” That embarrassing moment made the Top 5. “You then talked to him in private for a couple of minutes, now whenever you guys want to go back, you text him and find out when he’s working.”

“Did Bas say anything about knowing guy?”

“No, but he did say he was pretty jealous for a while since he was so good looking. You wouldn’t tell him his name so Seb started calling him Santa since he has the best toys. Blaine, I know you have a hundred other things going on right now, but can you please take me there soon. Porn isn’t helping anymore.”

“No” Blaine tried to get up to leave, but Thad pulled him back down.

“Why?”

Oh, what the hell. It’s not like this day could get anymore absurd. Maybe Thad wouldn’t even remember “Santa is Jeremiah.”

Unfortunately for Blaine, Thad knew exactly who that was “Jeremiah? _Gap Attack_ , Jeremiah? Oh my god, do you realize the guy you told _You can keep your toys in the drawer tonight_ , now pulls toys out of a drawer and hands them to you?”

Ok, most embarrassing moment 1A, right after the _Gap Attack_ itself “Are you finished? Remember, you came to me for a favor.”

“I’m sorry…but OMG…I wish…I could…have seen your face…when you saw him” Thad could barely get out as he tried to speak, laugh and breathe at the same time.

“Fine, I’ll text Jeremiah and see if he’s working Monday evening. But if you say anything to anyone, especially Bas, they will never find your body.”

“Why Monday?”

Blaine got up to leave but answered “Because we are busy every day until then, plus I need to give him a head’s up. I’m going to go take a shower and then see you at practice in 90 minutes.” Holy crap, had it really only been an hour since he left the math lab?

As he walked to his room, he thought about Jeff and Thad. Had they been messing with him? Had they hatched some X-rated plan to keep him from obsessing on what else was going on? If that was the case, Thad was a fucking dead man because Blaine had planned on taking the Jeremiah secret to his grave. But what about Brody being a gigolo? Was Santana in on the plan, or was this all some smutty cosmic coincidence?

He had just made it to his room when his text alert started going off like crazy.

 _From Sam: 911_  
_From Sam: 911_  
_From Sam: 911_

“Hey Sammy, what’s wrong? Did something happen to your family?”

“It’s not Sam, Blainey. It’s me.”

“Sugar Bear, why did you contact me with Sam’s phone? And where’s Sam?”

“My phone is in my locker, Sam left his phone on the stage and now Sam has locked himself in the costume room and says he won’t come out until he sees you. So, I was able to unlock his phone and call you while Kitty went to get mine. He really should have a stronger password that Blam.”

“Can’t Coop handle this?”

“Cooper had to go out of town, remember?”

That’s right, Cooper had called saying there was something he had to take care of and he’d be back Thursday morning “I remember now. Probably something having to do with his condo closing. Please tell me he sent someone to take his place today. Why are you giggling, Sugary Sweet?”

“He sent Dmitri.”

Damn, he loved his brother “He sent the head of your daddy’s security team? I bet Schuster loved that.”

“When I get my phone, I’ll text you the picture of his face when Dmitri walked in.” Considering Dmitri was 6’6’’ and looked like he could crush a small car with his bare hands, that had to be quite the picture. “So? Are you coming?”

“Yeah. I need a shower and have to tell Bas so he knows I won’t be at practice. It probably won’t be until six before I get there.”

“Ok, I’ll try and let Sam know you’re coming. And I’ll order some pizza so you’ll have dinner.”

“Always take care of each other.”

“Always take care of each other. See ya’ soon, Blainey.”

He once again went to text Sebastian, when Beat came in and had Sebastian with him. Blaine walked over and laid his head on his boyfriend’s chest as he wrapped his arms around him, then inhaled deeply. He always smelled so good.

“B? What’s going on?”

“You’re going to have to run practice by yourself. Evidently, Sam has locked himself in the costume room and won’t come out until he sees me.”

“Why don’t they just get the janitor to open the door?” Beat asked, like it was the obvious thing to do.

“Honestly? I’m pretty sure no one thought of it. Plus, I don’t think that’s the point.”

Sebastian could see how stressed Blaine was and came up with a different plan “Why don’t we cancel practice for today and I drive you to McKinley. Before you protest, the guys know the Diva-Off routine forwards and backwards. They’re good.”

“And, most of the guys have more than one test tomorrow since there’s no classes on Thursday or Friday. They’ll appreciate the extra study time” Beat added. “It will be fine, Blaine. If you want, I can call Puck and see if he knows anything.”

“Thanks, Beat. That sounds great. Can you text everyone?” While Beat went to do just that, Blaine turned back to Sebastian “Are you sure you want to drive me to Lima? We wouldn’t get back until late. I should probably talk to the Resident Advisor about curfew before we leave.”

“Neither of us has 1st period on Wednesdays, so why don’t you see if we can crash at your room at Sugar’s.”

“You, my love, are brilliant. Let’s get changed and get on the road.”

Like he had predicted, they arrived at McKinley close to 6PM. When they met up with Sugar and Kitty in the auditorium, Blaine had to stop himself from thinking of Thad and Kitty and some sort of The Cheerleader and the… roleplay. He tried to not look at Kitty anymore after that.

Blaine led Sebastian back to the costume room and then knocked on the door “Sam, it’s Blaine and I have Bas with me. Can we come in?” They heard the lock click open, but when they entered the room the lights were off. “Sam?”

The lights flicked on and there Sam stood, dressed like some sort of glorious BDSM angel. He was shirtless and every single one of his (holy shit, is that an 8-pack?!) abs were perfectly defined. His pants hung low on his hips and were so tight that the word _hung_ came to mind yet again. The pants were tucked into knee high boots, but the best part of the costume were the pair of wings harnessed to his back. They almost looked like they were made of bone, and appeared both strong and delicate at the same time.

Evidently, Blaine had been wrong earlier. The day had definitely just become more absurd.

It took a minute for Blaine’s brain to begin to function again, but even then all he could say was “I guess this means you’re doing Gaga for the Diva-Off, and this is your costume?”

“I have a black skull cap also.”

Sebastian began to shake his head “No, no, no, no, no, no. Go with the long hair. It’s more…angelic. Although, I’m pretty sure someone could grab the wings to hold onto instead.” The comment earned him an elbow to the ribs from his boyfriend “What? Just trying to be helpful.”

“Sam, your costume is amazing” Blaine managed to say with a straight face. “I don’t understand what the problem is.”

“Narissa told me that Wes is coming to support you guys in the Diva-Off. Do you think he’s ever going to let me see his sister again after he sees me like this?”

“Sammy, calm down. I’ll talk to Wes ahead of time and tell him about Gaga and…”

“What if it was Nick dressed like this and Sugar was in the audience?” Sam interrupted to ask. “How would you react?”

Before Blaine could answer, Sebastian jumped in “Not a problem because Duval would never look like that in that costume. And the answer to how Sugar’s over-protective, psycho cousin would react is pretty self-explanatory.” That last part earned him another elbow to the ribs.

Blaine walked over, took Sam’s hands in his and tried desperately not to stare at his best friend’s full, luscious, perfect for a blow-job lips (especially after what Sebastian had said earlier) “Sammy, you’ve got to calm down. Nari likes you. She likes you a lot and she stopped giving a shit about anything Wes had to say when she was twelve. I know you were hurt by Quinn. And Mercedes. And Brittany. And I don’t know what you had with Santana, but I can guess it wasn’t healthy. You can’t be so scared that you’re going to lose her that you drive her away. Be happy. Concentrate on whatever sappy, country song you’re going to sing to her at the Sugar Shack.”

Sam engulfed Blaine in his arms and muttered “Thank You” over and over again. When they pulled apart, they saw Sebastian standing there taking pictures with his phone “What?” he asked looking both innocent and guilty at the same time. “This isn’t my Valentine’s Day present?”

Four hours later at the Motta house, Blaine was enjoying the sound and the feel of Sebastian’s breath on the back of his neck. It was one of his favorite parts of what Sebastian referred to as his Big Spoon Duties. However, with the ridiculousness of the day over, Blaine’s thoughts drifted back to one place, Stanford. How could he tell Sebastian that he didn’t want him to go to California when they agreed not to try to influence the other?

“Either tell me what’s bothering you or stop overthinking it” Sebastian told him. “I can hear the words tumbling around in your head, but I can’t read your mind.”

“How did you know?”

“Your shoulder muscles tighten up when something’s bothering you.”

“Oh.” That simple sentence proved to Blaine how well Sebastian knew him. Loved him. He knew he had to tell Sebastian that he didn’t want him to go to California. “I have something I need to tell you.”

“You mean that Santa is really Mr. _Gap Attack_?”

Blaine didn’t know he could roll over that quickly “What?...How?”

“Thad told me that you had agreed to take him to see Santa. I thought there was no way in hell you would actually agree, but when you did I knew you had to have told him. That meant I had to tell you that I’ve known all along he was Jeremiah.”

“How did you even know about Jeremiah?”

“Have you met our friends? It was probably less than half an hour after I first heard the name Blaine Anderson that I heard about the _Gap Attack_. I was curious and wanted to see what your first big gay crush looked like. It took a little digging, but I found him on Facebook. I was just as surprised as you when we saw him at the shop.”

“I don’t know if that story was sweet or creepy, but now it’s only fair that you tell me about your first big gay crush.”

“Easy. Dark hair, big expressive eyes, perfect ass, sex on a stick and sings like a dream…”

“Bas.”

“Blaine, I’m serious. Yes, I had been attracted to other guys before, but when I first saw you I was hit with feelings I didn’t understand. It was more.”

Blaine moved closer and gently kissed him. The kiss continued for quite a while, but never turned into anything more serious than an expression of the love they felt in that moment. All of the issues that had seemed so pressing at the time could wait until tomorrow.

While Blaine and Sebastian were happily cuddled up together, Finn was being handed an ice pack. “This ice is for the swelling.” Then he was handed a glass of scotch on the rocks “This ice is for the pain. You should have paid better attention when Blaine was telling you how to throw a punch.”

“I did what he said” Finn mumbled. “Well, the first three or four times.” He took a sip of the scotch before putting a pillow under his other hand to keep it elevated. “I still don’t understand why you’re being so nice to me.”

Cooper took a sip of his own drink and told him “I’m not being nice, this is tit-for-tat. I helped you with Brody today and you’re going to help me with Travis tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jeremiah was in Episode 2x12 Silly Love Songs and the lyric mentioned is from When I Get You Alone by Robin Thicke
> 
> Sam’s costume comes from Episode 5x04 A Katy or A Gaga
> 
> Finn punched Brody (Rachel’s then boyfriend) in episode 4x16 Feud


	24. Be Who You Truly Are

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine and Kurt are having parallel conversations with two very different people. These conversations force each of them to contemplate how they got to where they are now in their lives, the good…the bad…and the ugly. Later the next day, everyone arrives at McKinley to get the Diva-Off started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: I attempted something different and tried to intertwine these two conversations since they would be happening at the same time and have similar themes. If you are reading this, that means I believe I succeeded. I hope you do too.
> 
> Warning: This chapter is EXTREMELY (yes, I all capped for a reason) unfriendly to Kurt. So, I will say once again, I would have written any jealous ex in this manner. It goes to the storyline.

Sebastian took one last look around his dorm. He wanted to make sure that he had everything since he wouldn’t be back to Dalton until Sunday night. * **Crash** * Before he could respond to the noise, Thad threw open their door “Where’s Blaine?” * **Crash** *

“What the hell?! What’s going on Harwood?”

* **Crash** * “We need Blaine!”

“He’s with Dr. Shepard. His phone is on silent for the next two hours.” * **Crash** * “What is that?”

“It’s Nick. He just found out that Sugar has gotten a couple of phone calls in the past few days…from Ireland.”

“Rory?” * **Crash** * “Call your girlfriend and find out what the fuck is going on.” * **Crash** * “Now!” As he ran down the hall toward the Niff Dorm, Sebastian realized his plans for quiet time with Blaine were most likely out of the question. This was not a good way for the _4-Day Valentine’s Weekend of LOVE_ to begin.

* **Crash** *

*****

While all hell was breaking loose at Dalton, Blaine was indeed at his therapist’s office, wondering if he was about to do the right thing. In reality, he knew he had to. He just questioned his timing.

“Blaine” Dr. Shepard acknowledged him as he shut the door and then sat down “You called and asked for two hours. I thought we agreed to no more two hour sessions until you grew a pair and were willing to tackle The List?”

“Wow, harsh Doc.”

“Blaine…”

“I want to talk, but I want to explain why first. Ok?”

“Of course.” Dr. Shepard leaned back in his chair and studied his patient. He could tell Blaine was sincere, but he had to ask “Why now? Why the change?”

“Doc, you would not believe the day I had yesterday.”

*****

Kurt pulled up to Breadstix and wondered why Cooper had told him to meet him there. The place was closed, but was a mess with all sorts of construction type people going in and out. There was also a big banner that read “Under New Ownership”. He went ahead and walked in and saw Cooper, who was taking a phone call. He pointed to a booth, so Kurt went over and waited.

He did not have a good feeling about this.

“Sorry about that” Cooper told him when he joined him five minutes later “Had to make sure we have enough of those Crab Puff Bites for Sugar Shack 2.0.”

“I don’t understand” Kurt really was confused because why would…“Wait. Are you the new owner of Breadstix?”

“Yes, I am. Nice observation. And I was able to convince, actually pay, the previous owner to let me take possession early. I was also able to convince, again…pay, the people who had the place rented Friday to go elsewhere, so now my baby cousin can have her day before Valentine’s party here on Friday instead of tomorrow. Isn’t it great when things work out like that?”

“Ok, yeah, sure, great, but why did you want me to meet you here?”

“That’s easy. I wanted you to see where you’ll be working to pay off the $10,000 you owe me.”

*****

“I’m voting for smutty cosmic coincidence” Dr. Shepard told Blaine, once he had finished laughing. “but I still don’t understand how any of that led you to the point to where you’re ready to finally talk about deeper issues.”

“When I said _What the Hell_ and told my friend who Santa was, it surprised me. I would have thought there was no way I would ever tell anyone. However, once I did and then later found out Bas knew all along, it was freeing. I know the issues we need to talk about will be much harder, but I want that type of freedom with every part of my life.”

“So, you’re sure? Because once we start down this road, there’s no going back.”

“I know.”

“Ok, let’s begin at the beginning. You want to tell me how you wound up at Westerville High in the first place?”

*****

“You thought I was going to just give you $10,000? Wait, does this have to do with Sam? Holy fuck, Blaine was right. Flaunting the family wealth, and the fact that he didn’t tell you about it, totally threw you off.”

“Blaine was doing that on purpose? Why the hell would he do that?”

“Like I said, to throw you off. Turn your focus away from the Fight Club money to something you would think would be easier to get your hands on. Yes, that’s right. I know all about the blackmail and I am ending it today.”

*****

“Do you blame Cooper?”

“Not now because he's not that person any more. He blew through his two million dollar trust fund in eight months, and then kept coming back to my parents asking for money. He wanted to say he was a struggling artist, but he didn’t want to live like one. I didn’t want to be that guy, an entitled brat living off mommy and daddy’s money. I wanted to be what I perceived to be an ordinary kid.”

“So, in other words, you wanted to be someone you’re not. Blaine, you are anything but ordinary.”

*****

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Kurt’s mind went into overdrive. How did Cooper know? Did Blaine tell him? Did Travis tell Santana? He told himself to not panic until he found out how much Cooper knew.

“Cut the crap, Hummel. I know how you and your fuck buddy Travis were able to somehow find the money Fight Club made from betting. Blaine thinks it was Travis that was after that money, but it was you the whole time. You never wanted to be a Warbler, but you wanted to be like them and for that you needed money.”

“I do not want to be like those pompous assholes!”

“You’re a liar and you know it. You always thought you were something special, but you’re just a kid from Ohio with a little bit of talent and a big dream. Nothing extraordinary.”

*****

“Your family moved to Ohio because your mom wanted to be closer to her sister.”

“Yes, but I didn’t know that. They didn’t tell me that Aunt Cory was sick, or that they had already bought the house here. They were waiting until the end of the school year, which was a couple of weeks away.”

“So, it was bad timing that you chose to come out at that time.”

“I wanted to do it sooner, but the older brother of one of my friends came out and his parents sent him to one of those _Pray the Gay Away_ Camps. Then one night over dinner, I just said it. Mom. Dad. I’m gay. My mom instantly took me in her arms and told me how much she loved me. My dad couldn’t even look at me, but now I know it was because he was scared shitless that he was moving his gay son to a small town in Ohio.”

“Ok, but I still don’t get how you wound up at Westerville? Wouldn’t your parents enroll you at Dalton to begin with?”

“They did. Long story short, end of school year they tell me about Aunt Cory, the move and that I’ll be going to Dalton. I’m upset, I go to internet and look up Dalton. The first thing I saw was the No-Bullying statement, but for some reason I read it as _Pray the Gay Away_. I had a friend of mine help me and we somehow convinced Dalton that I was my dad and dropped my enrollment. School started and I didn't have a spot at Dalton. I had to go to Westerville, where I could be the ordinary kid I wanted to be. I thought I was so fucking smart and then six weeks later I was attacked. Now do you see how it was my fault?”

“Blaine, it’s not your fault. You wound up at Westerville through a series of secrets and miscommunications. Could it have been prevented if you would have talked to your parents, especially your dad, about what you were feeling? Probably, but that does not make you responsible for the attack.”

“Tell that to Tommy’s parents.”

*****

“I do not have to listen to this!” Kurt started to leave, but Cooper pulled a zip drive out of his pocket and slid it across the table.

“Oh, I think you want to stay.”

“What’s this?” Kurt asked as he picked the object up.

“That is a video of your fuck buddy Travis spilling his guts. I told him that I wanted to make sure he actually had the information before I gave him the money. I didn’t plan on giving it to him at first, but then I found out how much greater the penalty was for extortion compared to attempted extortion. And the fact that you’re the son of a Congressman, well that made it federal time. You’ll love the look on his face after I told him that and then wouldn’t take the money back, no matter how much he begged. Plus, now I have the fun of watching you work here to pay me back.”

“Since you gave me this, I suppose this means you have other copies somewhere.”

“No, but the guy who filmed it does.” The smirk across Cooper’s face told Kurt that this wouldn’t be good. Then Cooper called for the guy to come out.

It was worse than Kurt could have imagined.

“Thanks for coming back a day early” Cooper told Finn as he sat next to him in the booth. “I know you were looking forward to flying on the private jet.”

Finn didn’t respond. He went right at the person he had called his brother the last few years “How could you do that to your dad? Huh? The man that has loved and accepted you without question. He was served with a fucking subpoena, Kurt. He has to go and testify about his involvement in the Dalton scandal, when you were the one involved. And for what, to keep Blaine and Sebastian apart?”

“I can’t tell my dad. His heart…”

Cooper stopped Finn from jumping across the table “Ok, this ends now. Everyone has enough dirt on everyone that we all know it’s in our mutual best interests to keep quiet. Tomorrow morning the Columbus DA will receive anonymous information clearing your dad. That leaves two things on the table. The first is you still owe me $10,000 and will start work here on Tuesday. The other is that you and Travis both know the Smythe family secret and that is the only reason the two of you are getting off this lightly.”

“What do you mean lightly? I owe you $10,000!”

“That’s right” Cooper said as he and Finn left the booth and headed toward the kitchen. “Tuesday, 3 PM. Don’t be late!”

“Why are you doing this to me?” Kurt called out loud enough that everyone in the room turned to look at him.

A nod sent Finn to the kitchen as Cooper walked over to Kurt and then said right to his face “Didn’t what happened to your friend Karofsky teach you anything? You talk about Fight Club, you face the consequences.”

*****

“Tomorrow, the Diva-Off starts at 4PM so do you want us there at three?”

“You’re coming, Doc?”

“You asked my brother-in-law to be your judge. It’s only right that I accompany him.”

“Yes, but he’s been to McKinley and you haven’t” Blaine said right before he realized why his therapist wanted to be there. “You want to meet Rachel. Don’t you?”

“I can’t help it. I find her fascinating.”

Blaine debated for a moment on whether or not he should tell Dr. Shepard that it was Rachel’s boyfriend who turned out to be a gigolo. He decided it would be much more fun for him to find out on his own.

“So, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then. I’ve got to go and meet some people at McKinley before checking out what all Cooper’s doing at his new restaurant.” He pulled his phone out to turn it back on and was immediately bombarded with continuous buzzing. 47 texts, and they were all about the same thing “Shit!”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing for you to worry about. Evidently my cousin’s present boyfriend found out she’s received a couple of calls from her last boyfriend and he didn’t take it well. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

After Blaine left, Dr. Shepard shook his head and asked himself “How did that kid ever think he was going to be ordinary?”

*****

It wasn’t until 1PM the next day that Blaine and Sebastian were finally able to see each other, when Sebastian met Blaine at the Motta’s.

“Can’t…breathe…Bas!” Blaine wasn’t kidding considering his boyfriend had one arm tightly around his waist and the other pressing his face into his chest.

“I can’t help it if I missed you. We’ve wasted 13 hours of the _4-Day Valentine’s Weekend of LOVE_.” Sebastian whined as he reluctantly released him.

“Last night you had your annual Valentine’s dinner with your mom, which by the way is ridiculously sweet, and I had stuff to take care of at McKinley. This morning I had physical therapy. It couldn't be helped.”

Sebastian glanced over at Sugar and Kitty, who were across the room, and lowered his voice “I still can’t believe you got the McKinley band to accompany you on your solo. How’d you do that?”

“Uh, I know their names and asked nicely.”

“And what about…you know. Has she heard anything?”

“No, and don’t make me regret telling you. Bas, I’m so nervous for her. She was born to play that role.”

“Ok, then changing the subject, how do you feel about all of your little surprises for Schuster.”

“Kind of guilty for some reason. Some of them are pretty mean.”

“Let’s do this. Let’s go lay down and rest before we have to leave in an hour. I’ll remind you how brilliant your plan is and Sugar and Kitty can talk freely about how big a douche Duval is in private. I still can’t believe you haven’t gone all Wolverine on his ass.”

“Number one, I can’t punch anyone any more if I want to get into Julliard. And number two, Nick’s about to learn his lesson the hard way. Before you ask, I’m not telling.”

While Sebastian was trying to calm Blaine’s nerves, Emma was at McKinley trying to do the same for her fiancée. “Will, you need to let this go. They’re just the outfits that the Warblers will wear when they perform. They also didn’t have school today so they may just be their school uniforms.”

“Then why did Blaine ask Figgins to put them under lock and key? I have a bad feeling about this.”

“You’re the one that suggested the Diva-Off” Emma reminded him.

“And you’re the one who wants Blaine at the wedding” Will snapped back. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say it like that.”

“Come on let’s go eat lunch. Maybe your blood sugar is low. At least that would be an excuse.”

At 2:30PM, the Warblers were in an empty auditorium doing a final walkthrough of their routines. When the first part was finished, Blaine went to Doug and asked “Are you ready for an audience? You have sounded great in rehearsals.”

“I think so.”

“Doug, this is a Diva-Off. You can’t think so, you must know so. If I didn’t believe you could do it, I wouldn’t have asked.”

“You asked because I’m the only Warbler that could do it in the first place” Doug responded with a smile. “You’re right, I’ve got this.”

The rest of the walkthrough also went well. Blaine had been particularly worried about the set change after the second song, but the McKinley stage crew handled it flawlessly. They finished at 3PM on the dot and people began to trickle into the room, the first being someone looking for Blaine “Seblaine Jr., get down here and give me a hug!” Santana demanded.

When Blaine reached her, he was crushed into a hug for the second time that day “What’s going on and what happened to Richboy?”

“The last time I saw you, you were lying in a hospital bed you idiot. Don’t do that to me again.” She let go and smacked him across the arm to get her point across “And if I call out Richboy in this room, I would get 18 other responses. That’s why today you are Seblaine Jr. That and it will bug the shit out of Hummel.” Blaine had to agree and when Sebastian joined them the three walked over to where the group that flew in on the jet had gathered, along with Nari and some of her friends, as well as Mercedes who had flown in from LA. While they were talking, the band and several Cheerios, including Becky dressed as a white blob with a mortar board around her face, came in.

“I take it this means the New Directions are doing Gaga.” Blaine was thankful for Becky’s appearance because it gave him an in to talk to Wes about Sam’s outfit. “But, we didn’t agree to an audience.” he added, pretending he didn't know why the band was there.

“I don’t know why the band is here, but Britt said that since Amanda and Alice chose to stay in the New Directions after she and Kitty recruited them for Sectionals, the Cheerios have been more supportive" Santana told him. "Also, with the picture of Trouty that somehow got out and you hot prep school boys performing, I’m shocked there’s not more girls here.”

“Oh, hell no!” Nari started toward the cheerleaders but her friends were able to stop her “Those bitches aren’t getting anywhere near my man!”

Blaine was about to pull Wes aside when he saw Cooper come in. Sebastian noticed Cooper’s arrival as well and said “Wesley, you come with me and B, go talk to your brother.”

After mouthing a “thank you” to his very astute boyfriend, Blaine did go down in front of the stage to meet up with Cooper “Thanks for coming Coop.”

“I told you I would be here for you and Sug. How do you feel about what’s about to happen?”

“A little guilty.” Then Blaine saw Will and Emma walk across the stage “Fuck! A lot guilty.”

“You didn’t think she would be here?”

“No, I thought she would be busy with wedding plans.” He stopped talking and plastered on a smile as the couple stopped in front of them. “Miss Pillsbury, it’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you too, Blaine, Cooper” Emma said, but noted that Will had been excluded from the greeting.

“I didn’t expect you to be here, Miss Pillsbury.”

“She volunteered to be my judge” Will said, which made Blaine’s guilt go into overdrive. “Technically, she told me she was going to be my judge, which is not a good sign since she wants to come to our wedding pretty badly.”

“Don’t worry Schuster. We will not need any assistance to win this, just like we won’t at Regionals next week.”

“About that. Sam told me that you and the other Warblers were upset that the New Directions would be competing against you at Regionals since you already beat them when Finn was in charge. I talked to the Show Choir officials about it and they agreed to move us to the other Regionals in the area. You know, the one that Vocal Adrenaline bribed them to make last year so they didn’t have to compete against us until Nationals.”

Blaine honestly couldn’t remember a time when he became that angry that fast, which was saying a lot with everything that had been happening in his life lately “You knew about this last week when you came to Dalton. Didn’t you? That Regionals is two weeks from now, giving the New Directions an extra week to prepare. You’re a son-of-a bitch, you know that? But, I should thank you because any guilt I was feeling for what I’ve done is now gone.” Blaine’s phone began to buzz “My judge is here. I’ll be back.”

As soon as Blaine was gone, Emma turned and faced her soon-to-be husband “Please tell me you didn’t do that on purpose.”

“Of course, he did” Cooper said in a huff. “You know what Schuster, it’s pathetic that you started a pissing match with an 18 year old, but I’m going to love watching your humiliation when my baby brother exposes you as the fraud you truly are.” Cooper turned around when he saw Emma stiffen as Blaine walked in with his doctor. “Tell me Emma, how long has it been since you’ve seen your ex brother-in-law’s husband?”

Before she could answer, an extremely handsome man appeared at the top of the stairs “Well, I never thought I would find myself here again.”

“Carl?”

Across the auditorium, what was happening had not gone unnoticed. “Holy shit! Why is Miss Pillsbury’s sexy as fuck ex-husband here?” Santana asked Sebastian assuming he would know.

“He’s Blaine’s judge.”

“Damn, that boy is my fucking hero.”

“Who’s the attractive man Blaine is with?” Quinn asked.

“That’s Dr. Shepard, B’s…”

Before Sebastian could finish the sentence, Rachel took off down the stairs. As soon as she reached him, she crashed into Dr. Sheppard and began to sob “Dr. Shepard, my boyfriend is a man whore!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I understand the flaw in my logic in that Blaine couldn’t get into Dalton at the beginning of the year but could after the attack. Let’s just assume a lot of money was involved.
> 
> I assume you have guessed one of the performances the New Directions will be doing. Obviously, someone else will be wearing Blaine’s outfit, Marley will not appear in a Katy costume and other members will have parts not included in canon. And don’t get me started about Penny.
> 
> I have read that some people are having issues separating Puck from what is going on with the actor that portrayed him (although it has not been noted here). If you are one of those people, I am warning you that Puck will be back in a larger role over the next few chapters. If that stops you from continuing with this story, thank you for reading to this point.
> 
> Cooper’s new attitude and his involvement with Finn will be addressed later.
> 
> Still taking song requests. I have a few more spots to fill.


	25. I'm a Diva

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s the Diva-Off. New Directions vs. Warblers, or in reality, Schuster vs. Anderson. Time to choose sides.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Canon dialogue is used in this chapter. Please see previous chapters for the disclaimer. 
> 
> There are four songs in this chapter. Sections were cut (it will make sense why) and short conversations take part in their place.

By the time Rachel had finished a mini-session with Dr. Shepard, it was time to begin. Emma and Carl gave the Warblers the choice of order, since they were the “visitors”. Blaine chose to go second. Will appeared to be quite happy with that, then said they would need an extra 10 minutes for stage set-up. Blaine was a little concerned, but changed his attitude when Carl pulled out his phone and set a timer, thoroughly pissing Will off.

Oh yeah, he had asked the right person to be his judge.

“Why would the New Directions need more time?” Nichole asked. Nick and Jeff had warned her ahead of time that the New Directions were run very differently from the Warblers, but she had been surprised by how different.

“Knowing Schuster, he probably has some elaborate shit going on” Santana told her. “It’s what he tends to do when pushed and after seeing that leaked picture of Trouty, I’m pretty sure that’s what’s happening.”

“Brittany didn’t tell you anything?” Quinn asked.

“No. She knows I wouldn’t say anything to Blainers, but didn’t want to put me in that position.”

“So, I take it your money is on the New Directions?” Rachel was actually talking about money since Puck had started a pool.

“While Blaine maybe my best gay, Britt is my heart so I am Team New Directions all the way. I’m assuming Nichole is Warblers and you, Quinn and Mercedes are with me?”

“Yes, as an OG, I’m ride or die with the New Directions.”

While the other girls couldn’t find the words to reply to Rachel, Mercedes shook her head in disbelief “Rachel, never, and I mean never ever, say that again. And by the way, my money is on the Warblers. I have a feeling Blaine Warbler has a couple of tricks up his sleeve. Oh, quiet. Miss Pillsbury and her sexy ex-hubby are about to get things started.”

Nichole looked at Quinn and asked “Blaine’s judge is Schuster’s fiancée’s ex-husband?”

Quinn gave her a nod and a _I’ll tell you later_ look, then leaned over to Rachel and whispered “Is something going on between Kurt and Finn? They’re acting stranger than usual.” Rachel shrugged, but had to admit she saw it too.

Emma tapped on a mike to get the audience’s attention “Welcome. I’m Emma Pillsbury and this is Dr. Carl Howell…”

“Welcome back, Dr. Hottie” Santana catcalled, earning her a smile from the dentist and a glare from her former advisor.

“Anyway, we will be the judges for today’s Diva-Off. So, what is a Diva? The Online Urban Dictionary defines a diva as _A fierce, often temperamental singer who comes correct. She is not a trick-ass ho and she does not sweat da haterz_. We all have an inner diva. I myself have been considered quite a diva at many a local restaurant because I know what I want and I will send a dish back.”

“Thank you, Emma” Carl stepped forward remembering how Emma could rant for hours when her food did not come out exactly the way she ordered. “Ok, so the rules were simple. Each group sings two songs from the diva or divas of their choosing. The New Directions arrangements and choreography had to be done by Will Schuster and the Warblers by Blaine Anderson. However, it was agreed earlier this week that each group could have 4 hours of outside help for production purposes only. Were these rules followed?”

Cooper stood “My name is Cooper Anderson and I can say that the New Directions did follow the rules.”

Jeff went next “My name is Jeff Sterling and Mr. Schuster graciously accepted my word as a Dalton boy that I would assure Blaine followed the rules set forth, and he did. However, I did not oversee the four additional hours.”

Blaine looked across the auditorium and winked.

“My name is Mercedes Jones and I monitored the Warblers extra time.” There was an audible gasp in the room as everyone turned to see Mercedes standing “I would like to note that the Warblers used only 3 of the 4 hours allotted and will use their remaining time today. Thank you.” When she sat back down she looked over at the girls sitting with her and smiled. “I tried to warn you.”

“That’s not the rule!” Will began to plead his case, but Emma and Carl cut him off and introduced the New Directions. The lights went out and two spotlights went to the back of the auditorium. The girls came in dressed as high-fashion models and walked down the aisles like they were walking a runway.

 _I'm a-a diva, I'm a, I'm a-a diva_  
_I'm a, I'm a-a diva, I'm a, I'm a-a diva_  
_I'm a, I'm a-a diva, I'm a, I'm a-a diva_  
_I'm a, I'm a-a diva, I'm a, I'm a-a diva_

 _Na-na-na_  
_Diva is a female version of a hustler_  
_Of a hustler, of a, of a hustler_  
_Na-na-na_  
_Diva is a female version of a hustler_  
_Of a hustler, of a, of a hustler_

Everyone in the audience stood up and began to applaud and dance in place except for Nick, and Jeff who was trying to comfort him “Sugar looks so beautiful. Why did I act like that? Why? Now she hates me.”

“She doesn’t hate you Nick. She’s angry that you acted like a fucking asshole when you found out she talked to Rory, but she doesn’t hate you.”

“She told me to fuck off and die, Jeff. Fuck off and die!”

Jeff let his best friend cry, literally, on his shoulder. The Warblers needed Nick to snap out of it since he was an important part of their opening. He personally needed Nick to snap out of it so he and Nichole could tell him they were seeing each other. He really, really wanted to get laid this weekend.

 _Fifty million round the world_  
_And they say that I couldn't get It_  
_I done got so sick and filthy_  
_With Benjis, I can't spend it_

Sebastian noticed Blaine watching Sugar and the other girls, but he wasn’t happy about something. “What’s wrong?”

“They’re all girls.”

“So? You said Schuster often did boys vs girls.”

“He could have put at least one guy in there. Guys can be divas too!”

Sebastian tried hard not to laugh, but failed “Of course guys can be divas. My boyfriend is one.”

Surprisingly, Blaine didn’t catch that “See the new girl, Amanda? The one wearing the tight leather pants and the pink top with the shaggy, fake fur sleeves? A guy could have worn that. Hell, I could have worn it.”

“Yes dear, and you would have looked very pretty. Now, the song is almost over, so just watch and enjoy the amazing job Sugar is doing.”

“Fine!”

 _Diva is a female version of a hustler_  
_Of a hustler, of a, of a hustler_

 _I'm a-a diva, I'm a, I'm a-a diva_  
_I'm a, I'm a diva, I'm a, I'm a-a diva_

Once the girls were off stage, a black curtain that had been behind the runway fell to the ground. The guys were on an elaborately set-up stage in various costumes from Lady Gaga videos, but Sam stood at the top of some stairs in his full BDSM angel ensemble. It took less than three seconds for every Cheerio in the room to stand back up and start fangirl screaming. Nari glared at them like she was plotting their deaths, but then turned her attention back to Sam. Those abs and lips belonged to her and later she’d make sure those bitches were aware of that fact.

 _I stand here waiting_  
_For you to bang the gong_  
_To crash the critic saying,"  
"_ _Is it right or is it wrong?”_

Nichole looked up and down her aisle “You all dated and then dumped _HIM_?!”

“Well, they dated him, but Sam and I did go to Junior Prom together as part of a group” corrected Rachel.

“You are all a bunch of fucking idiots.”

 _I live for the applause, applause, applause_  
_I live for the applause-plause_  
_Live for the applause-plause_

 _Live for the way that you cheer and scream for me_  
_The applause, applause, applause_

“Hey, Blaine? You know how I said once that we could never have a threesome because I didn’t want to share you?”

“Yes Bas, I remember. I take it the BDSM angel is your exception.”

“Yeah, but he’d have to wear the wings.”

 _A-P-P-L-A-U-S-E (Make it real loud) (Ooh!)_  
_A-P-P-L-A-U-S-E (Put your hands up, make 'em touch, touch) (Make it real loud!)_  
_A-P-P-L-A-U-S-E (Make it real loud) (Oh whoa! Oh whoa!)_  
_A-P-P-L-A-U-S-E (Put your hands up, make 'em touch, touch) (Oh whoa, ooh!)_

_A-R-T-P-O-P_

When they were done, everyone, including the Blaine, had to admit that the New Directions had put on one hell of a show. As the Warblers left to go backstage, he began to doubt what he had put together “How are we going to beat that? Our performance is so different.”

In what had become the norm, Trent was the voice of reason. “Yes, that was an over-the-top performance with two songs from two amazing divas. Our performance is subtle with several diva moments from the biggest diva we know…Blaine Anderson.”

Sebastian gave him a nudge and a smile “Told you so. Now let’s go kick some Schuster ass!”

Will on the other hand, was confident in what his club had just pulled off “There’s no way Blaine and the Warblers can beat that. They don’t do theatricality.”

“Yeah, but when Mercedes stood up and said that she had worked with the Warblers, that was pretty diva” Puck said and motioned up to the girls who had been joined by Wes, David, Nari and her friends. “There’s something going on there. Did Mercedes give any hints, Kurt?”

“I don’t know what’s going on. She’s supposed to be one of my best friends yet she worked with Blaine and the Warblers. The person I know wouldn’t do that.”

Finn let out a huff and it was obvious he was angry. He had tried to hide what happened between him and Kurt, but that comment pushed him over the edge. “Maybe she found out that everything she thought about Blaine was a lie because she had trusted what you told her. I mean, you were his boyfriend. You were supposed to be the one that loved him. I need some air!” Finn walked away and Puck followed, ecstatic that it looked like whatever loyalty his best friend felt toward his step-brother had started to evaporate.

“Kurt? What was that all about?” Will asked, confused by what had happened.

“It’s nothing. Just a misunderstanding between brothers.” At least that was what Kurt hoped it was.

Meanwhile, the other group had a lighter mood as Quinn had kept her promise to explain the Will/Emma/Carl dynamic to Nichole. “My friends back at Harvard are not going to believe all this shit. Hell, if I tried to use half of this in my fucking Creative Writing class my professor would fail me for being too creative.”

“You know, for going to an Ivy League school, you have the mouth of someone from Lima Heights.” Santana really did like her.

Their conversation stopped when the New Directions started to come back in and Nari saw Sam. She ran toward him, jumped into his arms wrapping her legs around his waist and kissed him, hard. She wanted to leave no doubt that Sam was hers. However, it didn’t faze the Cheerios at all. Sam may be off limits, but there was about to be a stage full of rich prep school boys and Valentine’s Day was only two days away.

Finn and Puck got back right before the Warblers were due on stage, but instead of going to their seats next to Will and Kurt, they sat in the row in front of the girls. They were further surprised when Brittany came up and sat next to Santana “Britt, Hun? I thought you were going to sit with the New Directions?”

“I was but Cooper asked for my seat.” Santana looked over and saw Cooper sitting in between Sam and Sugar. There was definitely something about to happen.

After the Warblers were introduced, Thad, and a now calm Nick, came out on the stage in their Dalton uniforms and started talking to each other. A few moments later, Doug came from the other side and tapped Nick on the shoulder.

“Excuse me, Senior Warblers?”

“What do you want First Year?” Thad asked, sounding annoyed as only Thad could.

Doug cleared his throat and began to sing… _Anything you can do, I can do better_.

_No, you can’t._

_Yes, I can. Yes, I can. Yes, I caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!_

While Doug held the longest note they had ever heard Puck, Finn and the girls turned and looked at Rachel. “Yes, that’s a high F, the note Kurt butchered in the first Diva-Off” she said, answering their implied question.

After they turned back to face the stage, Puck leaned over to Finn “Maybe we should have sat with Hummel. I bet his face was priceless.”

The three walked off stage, but nothing happened. Then a voice came through the loud speaker. Blaine’s voice.

_This is a story about control. My control. Control of what I say, control of what I do. And this time I'm gonna do it my way. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. Are we ready? I am. 'Cause it's all about control. And I've got lots of it._

Those not in the New Directions for last year’s Sectionals were in shock. “Can’t they only do something that Blaine put together?” Brittany asked.

“They are” Quinn, Puck and Finn said in unison. When the lights finally came on the Warblers were standing on stage…wearing dress pants, white dinner jackets with black lapels and black bow ties. From their first move it was obvious the _Anything you can do_ bit was done for a reason, and not just to piss off Kurt.

Santana noticed that like at this year’s Sectionals, Blaine wasn’t on stage for the first number. It also appeared that Sebastian, of course, would be singing Blaine’s part and for some reason it made her laugh. “Well played, Blaine Warbler. Well played.”

 _When I was 17, I did what people told me (Uh)_  
_I did what my father said and let my mother mold me_  
_But that was a long ago, I'm in..._

(All) _Control_

Those in the know quickly noted that while the Warblers were doing the same choreography, every so often there was a different move and it was always much more complicated than the original. Whenever it happened, the girls turned to Quinn who would point at Puck and Finn. It answered so many questions.

(S) _Got my own mind_  
_I wanna make my own (decisions)_  
_When it has to do with my life, my life_

(Jeff) _I wanna be the one in control_

_So let me take you by the hand and lead you on this dance_

(S) _'Cause what I got is because I took a chance_

(J) _I don't wanna rule the world, just wanna run my life (Ooh)_

(S) _So make your life a little easier_  
_When you get the chance, just take..._

(All) _Control, ooh ooh_

Rachel couldn’t wait any longer to ask her question “Quinn, why are the Warblers spread out? Wouldn’t they want the formation to be tight like it was done at Sectionals?”

“They’re doing to show that they don’t have to hide people that can’t dance like we did.” This time she not only pointed to Puck and Finn, but also Kurt, and then…Hey, where did the band go?

(S) _I wanna be the one in control_

(All) _I'm in control Uh_  
_I'm in control Ah_  
_I'm in control Uh_  
_I'm in control Ah_

As the Warblers headed off stage, Will caught on to something going on in the audience. Kitty had leaned forward and was talking to Artie and Tina. Carl was doing the same with Emma, David with Wes and Nari, Cooper with Sam and Sugar, and Mercedes with Puck and Finn. He looked to Kurt, who apparently didn’t know any more than he did, but they both assumed it had to be something to do with Blaine.

As soon as Mercedes finished telling Puck and Finn, she reached under her seat, pulled out a box of tissues and handed it to Quinn who was sitting in the middle of the rest of the girls “I’m fine. Just listen to the words and remember what’s going on in Blaine’s life right now.”

Before she could say anything else a spotlight hit the stage. Blaine was there, in his Dalton uniform, sitting at a piano. Santana caught her breath because he hadn’t told her that he was playing again. She would be totally pissed, if she wasn’t so happy. Then he started to play and what Mercedes said made sense. This was her song. The _Anything you can do_ bit wouldn’t work here. Would it?

What they didn’t know was that this was also Blaine and Sugar’s song.

 _Every day is so wonderful, and suddenly, it's hard to breath_  
_Now and then I get insecure, from all the pain_  
_Feel so ashamed_

Another spotlight hit the stage to reveal a string quartet

 _I am beautiful no matter what they say_  
_Words can't bring me down_  
_I am beautiful in every single way_  
_Yes words can't bring me down, Oh no_  
_So don't you bring me down today_

Full lighting not only showed that Thad, Nick and Doug had joined Blaine to sing harmony, it answered the question of where the McKinley Band had gone.

 _To all your friends you're delirious_  
_So consumed in all your doom_  
_Trying hard to fill the emptiness, the piece is gone_  
_Left the puzzle undone, ain't that the way it is?_

Blaine turned to look directly at Sugar, who was being held by Cooper. He had debated doing this because of her, but in the end, he decided he wanted all of the secrecy from the previous year erased and to make sure everybody knew how much he loved his baby cousin.

 _You are beautiful no matter what they say_  
_Words can't bring you down, no, no_  
_Cause you are beautiful in every single way_  
_Yes words can't bring you down. Oh, no_  
_So don't you bring me down today_

The rest Warblers came on stage at that time, and then everything came full circle when Mercedes stood, pulled out a microphone and began walking toward the stage to do what Mercedes Jones did better than anyone…belt out those riffs.

 _No matter what we do **(No matter what we do)**_  
_No matter what we say **(No matter what we say)**_  
_We're the song that's out of tune, **(yeah)** full of beautiful mistakes **(oh yeah)**_

 _And everywhere we go, **(And everywhere we go)**_  
_The sun will always shine **(The sun will always, always, shine)**_

Blaine and Mercedes picked up the last verse as a duet, but Cooper saw that something was wrong. Sebastian was not on stage. He stood up and walked Sugar toward the stage so no one would question his being up there. Once he sat her on the piano bench with Blaine, he turned and there in the wings was Sebastian…frozen, not taking his eyes off Blaine and totally unaware of the tears streaming down his face. Cooper tried to move him, but he wouldn’t go. So instead, he just put his arm around him. He knew eventually Sebastian would say something, he was just unprepared for what it was.

“I’m not a fighter like B was, but I’m smart, maybe even too smart. I have no problem with the idea of ruining the life of anyone that hurts the people I love. But, I swear to god Cooper, if I am ever, ever, alone in a room with any of those bastards that hurt Blaine, I will kill him. Not figuratively, or hypothetically, but physically kill him and that scares the shit out of me.”

Cooper watched his brother and marveled how joyful he was in that moment. There was only one thing to say “You’d have to get through me first, Sebastian. You’d have to get through me.”

An hour later, after Will was done bitching about all the ways Blaine cheated, Emma and Carl made their way to the stage. Carl stepped forward to announce the decision. “We thought about this long and hard since both performances were spectacular.”

Kitty let out a loud groan, figuring she knew where this was going “If you say it’s a tie and that we are both winners, I will go out to the parking lot and slash your tires!”

“That’s my girl!” Thad called out, earning him an air kiss from his girlfriend.

Emma gave Carl a nod, signifying that Kitty really would do what she threatened “Um, ok. I guess then you will be happy to hear that we did chose a winner. Emma?”

“Yes, we did. We decided to go by the truest meaning of Diva-Off and chose the Warblers as today’s winner.”

Will jumped up and yelled, which was not a good thing to do to your future wife two days before your wedding "How the hell did you decide that?"

Emma glared at him and then practically snarled "They sang notes your club couldn't, wore your clothes, sang your songs, danced in ways you could only dream of, used your band and recruited one of the biggest divas you've had to sing _against_ you. They did all that while promising that they would do it better than you had, which they did. That sounds pretty fucking diva to me, William."

There was nothing to say after that.

The boys gave themselves pats on the back, but didn’t want to be too obnoxious in their celebration since they had so many friends in the New Directions. Blaine decided to take it even one step further “Miss Pillsbury, Dr. Howell, we appreciate you choosing us, as we know your decision was difficult considering the performance the New Directions had. Because of that, I would like to make a change to our agreement so that the Old New Directions _can_ mentor the new team, but only on a limited basis and any suggestions must go through Sam since he is captain.”

“That’s a wonderful gesture, Blaine, but now I’m going to ask you for one more. Blaine, would you and Sebastian please come to my wedding on Saturday?”

Sebastian smiled and mouthed “Ok”, even though he would rather have a root canal than spend his first Valentine’s with Blaine at that wedding. “We’d love to come, Miss Pillsbury.”

People began to leave, but Sam found Blaine and pulled him into a bear hug “Thanks so much, bro. That’s all any of us wanted, to have a say in what we’re doing.”

“You’re welcome Sammy, but I need a favor in return.”

That night, Sebastian was in Blaine’s bed at the Motta’s but sitting with his back against the headboard and had his eyes shut “This surprise of yours is taking forever. Can I open my eyes yet?”

“Almost. Ok, open your eyes.” When he did, not only did Sebastian’s eyes bug out and his jaw hit the floor, his dick sprung to life faster than it ever had before. Standing before him was one of his fantasies come true. Blaine was wearing the tight leather pants and the pink top with the shaggy, fake fur sleeves from earlier “Well, do I look like a diva?”

Words could not form, so Sebastian just nodded. Emphatically. He knew he was in trouble. The very, very good kind of trouble.

“So, we have a bit of a dilemma here” Blaine spoke in the tone that Sebastian thought would make his brain explode, as well as other parts of his body. “There are 12 girls down stairs having a slumber party, my brother is across the hall, my uncle is next door and I’m dressed like this. What are we going to do?”

“I can be quiet. I promise.” Sebastian didn’t want to beg, but who was he kidding. Those pants made his boyfriends ass look A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

“Are you sure?” Sebastian went back to his emphatic nodding, but Blaine asked again “Are you sure you’re sure?”

“Yes!”

“That was awfully loud.” Blaine walked over to his dresser and pulled out a gag “I called Jeremiah a while back. You know, just in case.”

“God, I love you” Sebastian said as he jumped out of bed and went to work on his other fantasy…getting Blaine out of that outfit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m a Diva: SHONDRAE L CRAWFORD, BEYONCE KNOWLES, SEAN GARRETT 2008
> 
> Applause: DINO ZISIS, JULIEN ARIAS, MARTIN BRESSO, NICK MONSON, NICOLAS MERCIER, PAUL EDWARD BLAIR, STEFANI GERMANOTTA, WILLIAM SAMI ETIENNE GRIGAHCINE 2012
> 
> Anything you can do (From the Musical, Annie Get Your Gun): Irving Berlin 1946
> 
> Control: James Harris III, Terry Lewis 1986
> 
> Beautiful: Linda Perry 2002
> 
> Emma’s Diva speech is one of my favorite moments on Glee.
> 
> The outfit in question is the one Blaine wore on the show (Episode 4x13, Diva)
> 
> The back story behind Blaine and Mercedes surprising (hopefully) connection will be explained soon


	26. Facing Your Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Blaine makes a decision about his future, Sebastian has to deal with a secret from his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> During the song at the end there is a contrast in thoughts between the person the song is being sung for and the person that thinks he or she is the person the song is being sung for. It will make sense (hopefully)
> 
> This chapter is divided by the people Blaine and Sebastian meet with throughout the day.
> 
> Canon dialogue is used in this chapter. Please see previous chapters for the disclaimers.
> 
> Warning: There is a line later in the chapter that may be offensive to some. It is explained in the end note.

The morning after the Diva-Off, Sebastian woke up and found himself alone in bed. The rustling noises he heard meant that Blaine hadn’t left yet, at least he hoped that was what it meant. There were a lot of people (girls) at the Motta’s, and he was naked under the covers. “Hey sleepy head, it’s about time you woke up. I almost had to leave without saying good bye.” Evidently, Blaine had chosen that morning to be exceptionally perky. He was usually a total zombie until he had a cup of coffee.

“You could have woken me.”

“Nah, you were too cute. So, I’ll meet you at Breadstix later to help with set-up, say around three. Does that give you enough time to work on your super-secret project?”

“Three sounds good.” Sebastian thought about laying back down, but then checked out what Blaine was wearing and had to say something “Are you and Sam seriously going to take your Harleys out for a ride? It’s like 20 degrees outside.”

“It’s cold but the roads are clear. We’ll be fine.” Blaine leaned in and gave him a kiss. “Does this seem weird to you? You know, us waking up together and discussing our day. I mean, it feels almost…domestic.”

“I wouldn’t say domestic. How about comfortable?”

“I like that, comfortable. Ok, I’m off. Remember, I’m going to the Berry’s after my ride with Sam.”

“Is Burt meeting you there?”

“Yeah, I thought it would be easier to just get it over with at one time. I want the rest of this weekend to be focused on you, making sure the Sugar Shack is a success, you, having fun with our friends and you.”

“Sounds good. And Blaine, you know I’ll support whatever you decide.”

Blaine gave him another kiss, but when he pulled away Sebastian felt something he hadn’t before “B, what’s going on? You didn’t shave. You never go out like that.”

“I know, I thought I’d try something different” Blaine said nonchalantly, waiting for his boyfriend to realize what he was doing. Maybe if he put on his glasses.

That’s all it took. “Holy shit! You’re doing your loose curl, scruff, glasses look. You know what that does to me. That’s playing dirty Anderson.”

“Oh, you think this is playing dirty?” Blaine grabbed his leather, biker jacket from the chair and put it on “Now what do you think?”

“That you’re going to leave me with the worst case of blue balls in history.”

“Then my work is done here. See you at three!”

“Wait, you’re really leaving me like this?”

“Good bye, Bas. I love you.” Blaine gave him a wink and an evil laugh as he left, stage one of his diabolical plan a complete success.

“Well, I hate you!” Of course he didn’t, but when Blaine didn’t respond Sebastian knew he was gone. He needed to get his super-secret project started, but there were a couple of stops to make first.

Sam and Nick

Blaine looked Sam directly in the eyes and said “No”. Then he turned to look Nick directly in the eyes and said “Hell no.” During that time Sam’s father had walked into his living room, laughing at what he saw.

“You know guys, if you’re asking Blaine for a favor, you might want to ask a little nicer.”

“Thank you, Mr. E” Blaine was grateful for the assist, but wondered why Dwight was there in the first place “I thought you were going to stay at my house with Mrs. E, Stevie and Stacy.”

“I was, but I didn’t realize that the Dalton guys staying here would involve a new, state of the art security system and two guys that use to be Special Forces.”

Sam scrunched his face, knowing Blaine was going to blow a gasket “You didn’t tell him about Doug’s security detail?! Sam! What’s wrong with you?! Mr. E, I’m so sorry, but as long as his brother…”

“Blaine, it’s ok, but I felt better staying here. I’m going to join Mary and the kids tomorrow. Just so you know, Stevie has already beaten both your and Sam’s high scores on several of your video games and Stacy has made a pretty good dent in your Disney collection. Plus, Mary has almost transferred all the data to your mom’s new accounting system. It all worked out for the best, I promise. I’m going to go make some coffee so you three can go back to your argument.”

“Thanks Mr. E, but the answers are still no. There’s nothing to argue about.”

Sam and Nick looked at each other, silently agreeing for Sam to go first “Why won’t you sing with us? It’s Narissa’s favorite song and we need a fifth person. Come on, you know you always wanted to join the Justin Bieber Experience.”

“I’m already singing too much as it is. Why don’t you ask Finn? Didn’t he try to join at one point?”

“Finn doesn’t know the song. I already asked.”

Yeah, Finn was a fucking liar “Sam, people living in the Arctic Circle, with no television, radio or internet know that song. And you do know that it’s about a dysfunctional relationship that’s actually nothing but a series of booty calls, right? Doesn’t anyone listen to lyrics anymore?””

“Like I said, it’s Narissa’s favorite song and you are the reason we met in the first place. If you’re already singing too much just take the lead on the chorus. Also, I think Finn is being an ass because we wouldn’t let him in the Experience last time.”

Nick thought that was strange “Why didn’t you let Finn in the group? I thought you guys were friends.”

“We were, but he was sleeping with my girlfriend at the time.”

“Which one?”

“Quinn”

“Ouch!”

“That was not the thing to say when you want me to sing _that_ song to my cousin” Blaine reminded Nick. “We are all aware that Quinn is beautiful.”

“I’m sorry, so so sorry. But Blaine, please. After _Beautiful_ , it’s her favorite song that you sing.”

“That I used to sing. That I sang to Kurt in a very public fashion. You were there, remember?”

“You’ll just be background music. I’ll take care of the romantic stuff. The guys already said they’d help.”

Sam jumped in “Yeah, I want to get my Warbler on. I bet Puck and Artie will help, and Mike too. He’ll be back in town around noon.”

Nick could see Blaine was beginning to fold. He just had to keep playing on his love for his cousin “And I want to do it this afternoon, before the Sugar Shack. You don’t want her to be sad at her own party, do you?”

“I can’t believe you went there Duval. All right, I’ll do it, but you owe me big.” As in not acting like an idiot when Jeff and Nichole tell you they’re seeing each other, Blaine told himself and then made a mental note to tell Jeff. “I guess that means I’ll do your song too, Sam. I’m supposed to meet Bas at Breadstix at three, so…”

“No, no, no, I’ll take care of everything, you two just go on your ride.” If he was honest, Nick was amazed that his plan worked. He wasn’t going to give Blaine a chance to change his mind.

Sam put on his jacket and grabbed his helmet “By the way Blaine, how much are you singing tonight?”

“The two songs I planned, plus I’ve been dragged into an opening number and some of the girls asked me to do a song with them.”

“Did you make them beg like we had to?”

“No, they said the two magic words.”

“Pretty please?”

“Katy Perry.”

Xavier

Xavier Smythe walked into the diner, and immediately knew something had to be going on with his son. Hands down, a big greasy breakfast was Sebastian’s favorite meal. However, due to years of conditioning for Lacrosse there were only certain times he would eat one…Christmas morning, his birthday for dinner and when he was upset. After they ordered, Xavier knew whatever it was had to be bad. “What’s going on, and don’t tell me _nothing_. You ordered a ham and cheese omelet, home fries, a side of bacon and a cinnamon roll that from what I saw is about the size of your head. Even with all of that, I didn’t truly begin to worry until you asked for chocolate milk.”

“Dad…”

“Don’t dad me. Since you were two years old, you have asked for chocolate milk whenever you were afraid of something. Hell, we bought it by the gallon until you found out Blaine’s hands would be fine and don’t get me started on what happened last year. What is it son?”

“I know he got out of jail.” Sebastian hadn’t meant to say it like that, but in reality there was no good way to start this conversation.

“Ok, but Stafford has to wear the ankle monitor. He won’t be able to get near Blaine or Doug. Why are you bringing this up now? He was released a couple of weeks ago.”

Sebastian took a big drink of his chocolate milk and then just blurted it out “I wasn’t talking about him. I was talking about my biological father.”

Shit! “Oh, Sebastian.” This was not how this was supposed to happen. “How long have you known?”

“Since right before I joined you guys in Paris for Christmas. Someone said something about mom’s age when she had me and the numbers didn’t add up. He didn’t say that I was adopted, but I’m pretty sure he knows and has been blackmailing Blaine with the information.”

“Is it Blaine’s ex?”

“Yes, but that’s actually not what I want to talk about” He took another drink of his milk. His father was right, he was afraid, but probably not in the way he was thinking. “Yesterday I told Cooper that if I ever was alone with one of the guys that hurt Blaine, I would kill him. Dad, I meant it and it scared me. It scared me so bad. What if I’m just like him?”

Xavier went to the other side of the booth because of the sudden, physical need he had to hold the boy that had been his son since he was one second old “Sebastian, you will never be like him. You are _my_ son and _your_ mother’s Darling Boy. You knowing about him doesn’t change that. It will never change that.”

“Are you going to see him?”

“No, he means nothing to us anymore. He stopped being our son a long time ago.”

Hiram, LeRoy and Burt

“I was afraid you’d be disappointed in my decision.” When Dr. Shepard had suggested that he talk with someone about what was going on with his case, Blaine immediately thought of Rachel’s dads. He had been impressed by the story she told him of how they talked to her about his attack after it happened. When he called and asked them if they would do it, they were both at Dalton an hour and a half later.

It was at least a two-hour drive from their house to Westerville.

“Not at all. This was always about what you thought was best for you. Not anyone else” LeRoy had reached across and held Blaine’s hand. Rachel had warned him that LeRoy was the tactile dad and Hiram was the overthinker. Maybe that’s why he got along with them so well.

“I know Stafford’s claim about my attack not being a hate crime is wrong, and if it was just me I might have felt differently. But, if I fight him in court then Tommy will be brought into it and I can’t do that to him or his family.”

Hiram smiled at his husband, who was obviously fighting his urge to hug Blaine “We are so proud of you. You are choosing to protect someone you care about. That’s incredibly brave, even if it doesn’t feel like it.”

LeRoy couldn’t help himself and put his arm around him. “But, it’s also ok that you don’t what to be known as that guy. We know you’re going to be a star someday, you’re too talented not to be. That’s what you should be famous for.”

“Thank you, I just needed to hear it. So, Mr. Hummel, I guess you’re wondering where you come into all of this?”

“Kid, aren’t we to the point where you start calling me Burt again?”

Blaine was happy that Cooper had told him that the DA in the Dalton case had received information clearing Burt. Although, Cooper didn’t tell him was how he knew that in the first place. Hmm...“Ok, Burt. I had the idea that maybe since I won’t go to court with this, maybe there’s some way to pass legislation instead. Something along the lines of that if a person is attacked solely based on his or her sexual orientation, it is automatically classified as a hate crime. I know that it sounds like the law now, and I can't seem to find the right words, but with how Stafford is claiming…”

Burt could see why the Berrys were so proud of Blaine. He still didn’t know what had happened, but his son had really fucked up letting him go “I understand and I’d be honored to help you, son.”

Hiram began to laugh. At least his husband had tried “Mr. Berry?...LeRoy?...I can’t breathe.”

Kurt

Kurt had been up most of the night trying not to obsess about how his life got so out of control. There was no way in hell that he was going to work for Cooper Anderson, but where was he going to get $10,000? And, his dad hadn’t said anything about not having to testify in the Dalton case, even though Cooper said he was taking care of it. And, Finn had somehow found out everything. And, both Mercedes and Rachel were all buddy-buddy with Blaine. And, they had the nerve to tell him it was best if he didn’t go to the Sugar Shack tonight. Who the hell did they think they were? There was no way he was giving up a chance to see…

“Hello, Hummel.”

“Sebastian?” There he was. Sebastian was sitting at his kitchen table. Oh god, he hadn’t brushed his teeth “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, don’t sit down on my account” Sebastian said as he stood and pushed the chair back “I’m leaving, but I thought I should tell you a few things first. To start with, you can stop blackmailing Blaine that you’re going to tell me my family’s dirty little secret, because I know I’m adopted and how it happened. Plus, my father knows that I know and is rather unhappy about what you’ve done with that information. Next, for some reason Blaine thinks that you won’t show up at the Sugar Shack tonight because you’ve alienated pretty much everyone you consider your friend. Yeah, I know better. You’ll be there and I don’t have a problem with it. You see, B is singing at least one song that could be considered a quote/unquote Klaine song, and I want to watch as you have to sit there and know he’s not singing to you. By the way, if you throw one of your shit fits because of that, Cooper is ready to throw your ass out and so much more.”

“Is that all?” Kurt snapped to keep from crying. Why was Sebastian being so mean? Was it because Blaine was going to sing one of their songs? Was he jealous?

“No, and this one I want you to listen to very carefully. The idea of you and I together makes me physically ill. The image of you touching me is my most effective mailman, cock block, boner buster…whatever you want to call it. Do you understand?” Kurt was so shocked he couldn’t answer. How did Sebastian know? “Ok then, I have to go help Nick woo Sugar. Oh, and Blaine will be singing a Klaine song there too. He’s just going to reclaim them one by one until _poof,_ they are no longer Klaine songs. Don’t worry, I can show myself out. Tootles, Hummel.”

What had just happened? Sebastian was so…well Sebastian, but he was so mean. He hadn’t even been that mean all those months ago when he had called him Gayface. Wait…Oh, no…no, no, no…

_And one of us has a hard luck case of the gay-face, and it ain't me. Odds are by the end of the school year, I'll have Blaine and a Nationals trophy, and you'll have khakis and a Lima Bean apron and that gay face._

He had done it. He was a year off, but that bastard had done it…Sebastian had Blaine, the Warblers were definitely good enough to win a Nationals trophy and it wasn’t the Lima Bean but he would be working at Breadstix. How could he be so blind? He had let that…that…Meerkat ruin his relationship with his one true love, Blaine. Blaine, who would be singing Klaine songs at the Sugar Shack. The Sugar Shack where they had spent last Valentine’s together. Where Blaine surprised him when he came back from having surgery. A surgery that he needed because of Sebastian. Kurt ran back upstairs to get his phone. He didn’t know what he was going to do, but he knew the first thing that had to happen was to find where Nick planned whatever he was doing. He could listen to Blaine sing, and if he had to guess, Rachel would be there too. She had told him all along that he was still in love with Blaine. She’d know what to do.

_The Wooing_

Santana, Quinn, Rachel, Mercedes and Nichole pulled around to the back of the Motta’s house to watch what had become known as The Wooing. When they got out of the car, they were all blown away by what they saw, but each of them had very different responses.

“Shit like this is why I keep telling Blaine that I shouldn’t know these people. This had to cost a fortune! But why are they doing this outside? It’s fucking freezing out here.” (Santana)

“Where did he get all of those pink roses on the day before Valentine’s Day? There has to be hundreds of them.” (Quinn)

“Is Sugar going to come out on the balcony? That will be so romantic.” (Rachel)

“Even with the Warblers singing I expected the band, but how did they get a grand piano and 8-piece orchestra back here?” (Mercedes)

“My brother is a fucking idiot.” (Nichole)

They continued to comment on what they saw but stopped when they saw Blaine, Sebastian, Wes and David wave at them. Quinn and Wes had been in contact since New Year’s Eve, and she had asked him to be her date for the wedding. Mercedes and David were talking as well, and it was clear that there was more going on there. But, what the hell was going on with Blaine?

“Um, does anyone know what’s wrong with Blaine?” Rachel asked. “I’ve never seen him like that before. He looks…”

“…sexy as hell.” Nichole finished the thought for her. “Hey, he may be gay and I may be dating one of his best friends, but I’m not blind.”

Santana let out a semi-snort as the other girls began to nod their agreement “It’s for Seb. That look of Blaine’s makes him all tingly below the belt, and it’s pretty obvious that he’s not the only one.” Her statement couldn’t have been any truer as an uninvited guest had managed to sneak onto the property. Kurt hadn’t liked Blaine’s bad boy image at first but now he did. He really, really did.

As the participants finally got into place, Quinn asked “Does anyone know what Blaine is singing?”

“All I know is that it’s something he sang to Kurt in the past and would be completely inappropriate if Nick wasn’t using him as a human jukebox” Mercedes told her. Santana was not happy that Mercedes had known the answer and she didn’t. Was Mercedes trying to infringe on her territory as Blaine’s best girl? There was no way she could be his _best gay_ or _person I would be fucking if we were both straight_. Ok, that last part was a cruel, but that was beside the point. After Sebastian, and maybe Sam, Blaine belonged to her and she was going to have to put an end to whatever was going on there. Fast!

“Oh, look. Brittany and Kitty just brought Sugar out to the balcony!” Rachel didn’t know why she was so excited, but if it was the song she thought it was she had missed it last time.

_I walked across an empty land_   
_I knew the pathway like the back of my hand_   
_I felt the earth beneath my feet_   
_Sat by the river and it made me complete_

Sugar had already begun to cry. Pink roses were her favorite and she loved when Blainey sang that song, but what was going on?

Kurt had already begun to cry. After _Teenage Dream_ , this was his favorite song that Blaine had sung for him.

 _Oh simple thing, where have you gone?_  
_I’m getting old and I need something to rely on_  
_So tell me when you’re gonna let me in_  
_I’m getting tired and I need somewhere to begin_

 _I came across a fallen tree_  
_I felt the branches of it looking at me_  
_Is this the place we used to love?_  
_Is this the place that I’ve been dreaming of?_

 _Oh simple thing, where have you gone?_  
_I’m getting old and I need something to rely on_  
_So tell me when you’re gonna let me in_  
_I’m getting tired and I need somewhere to begin_

Sugar couldn’t help but smile as Puck and Mike came around the corner, holding a ladder which they propped up against the balcony.

Kurt couldn’t help but smile as he remembered Blaine coming down the stairs at McKinley, staring at him with his big beautiful eyes while he sang.

 _And if you have a minute, why don’t we go_  
_Talk about it somewhere only we know?_  
_This could be the end of everything_  
_So why don’t we go somewhere only we know?_  
_Somewhere only we know_

_(Some - where)_

_And if you have a minute, why don’t we go_  
_Talk about it somewhere only we know?_  
_This could be the end of everything_  
_So why don’t we go? So why don’t we go?_

Sugar jumped with joy as she saw Nick come around the corner and begin to climb the ladder.

Kurt jumped when he felt a tap on his shoulder and found Dmitri standing behind him.

 _And if you have a minute, why don’t we go_  
_Talk about it somewhere only we know?_  
_This could be the end of everything_  
_So why don’t we go somewhere only we know?_

 _Somewhere only we know_  
_Somewhere only we know_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 20 degrees F is approx. -7 degrees C
> 
> Somewhere only we know (Glee Version): RICHARD DAVID HUGHES, TIMOTHY JAMES RICE-OXLEY, TOM CHAPLIN 2004
> 
> What Santana said about Mercedes was intentionally harsh for a reason that will be made clear soon. It was all about Santana’s jealousy and nothing else.
> 
> The last part of this chapter is the prequel to the Sugar Shack 2.0 to be followed by the (yes, there will be one) Wedding. It is also the beginning of the inclusion of the requested songs. I am proud to say that I was able to get most of the requested songs into the next few chapters, although with some I had to be quite creative (like this one). And let it be said that fanfiction writers will suffer for their art. I listened to, and watched videos of, all of these songs. I will say listening to the Klaine songs was much easier than watching the performances.


	27. Blainey's Angels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s the Sugar Shack time! Against everyone’s advice Kurt decides to go, but some certain ladies agree to make sure he doesn’t ruin Seblaine’s evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Violence (slap)

Sugar Shack (Breadstix), Cooper’s office

“Bas, you did not ruin Valentine’s Day. I promise. The only thing different about you going home tomorrow instead of Sunday is that you found a way to get out of going to the wedding without pissing me off.”

“That’s not funny, B.” Sebastian let out a sigh of frustration. Evidently, when his dad told his mom about what was said at breakfast, she pretty much had a meltdown. He offered to come right home, but his mom insisted that her Darling Boy spend the evening with his love. He hadn’t told Blaine what he talked about with his dad, but Sebastian was sure he knew and loved him all the more for not asking questions.

“I’m not trying to be funny. I promise.” Blaine took a step closer and reached for his boyfriend’s hand “Bas, any day that two people in love spend together is Valentine’s Day.”

“That was the cheesiest thing you have ever said.”

Blaine crinkled his nose and made his _At least I’m cute_ face “Yeah, it sounded better in my head. So, tonight we sing, maybe sway a little, laugh a lot and just have fun. The serious stuff can wait for tomorrow. You know that’s what your mom wants, right? She feels bad enough about asking you to come home early.”

“Done.” Sebastian smiled for the first time in what seemed like hours “B, I have to ask. What’s with the outfit?”

“You don’t like the way I’m dressed?” Blaine tried to sound offended, but he had hoped Sebastian would mention it.

“No, don’t get me wrong, you look amazing. It’s just up top you’re all super-sexy scruff but you’re dressed in your old bashful schoolboy look…blazer, sweater vest, polo shirt and bow tie. However, you do have on probably the tightest pair of jeans I’ve ever seen you in, and that says a lot.”

“Cooper chose the look for the opening number. I’m going to change later. And speaking of the opening number, I better go check on Sugar. Go get a seat and save one for me.” As soon as Sebastian left, Blaine pulled out his phone.

 _To Santana: I need to talk to you after opening and then Sam’s number._  
_To Blaine: Got it, Frodo._  
_To Santana: Do not call me that._  
_To Blaine: Don’t worry, you’re back to Seblaine Jr. Hummel just walked in._  
_To Santana: Shit!_  
_To Blaine: Relax. I have a plan._

“I can’t believe the son of a bitch showed up” Quinn told the others, but then followed immediately with “I take it back. Yes, I can, even though everyone told him not to.”

“Actually, Sebastian told Kurt he wanted him to come so he could hear Blaine sing and know it was not for him” Mercedes reminded them.

“He’s so delusional, he probably thinks Seb is trying to trick him again” Kitty said, while Nari nodded her agreement. Sugar had filled them in and the two of them were more than willing to help.

“How did Sebastian trick him?” Brittany asked.

Santana put her arm around her girlfriend. Despite everything, Brittany still had a hard time believing anything bad about Kurt “By making Kurt believe that he was in love with him instead of Blaine, Sweetie.”

Tina had to catch her breath as she choked on her drink “Kurt thought he was in love with Sebastian? EW!!”

“Exactly.” Rachel watched Kurt sit down at a table with the rest of the Old New Direction guys and noticed the tension between Kurt and Finn had only gotten worse “I’m going to go sit with the guys. There’s something going on between Kurt and Finn and I want to know what that’s all about.”

“We should keep an eye on the rest of the guys as well” Nichole motioned over toward Nick “My idiot brother was ready to kick his ass when he found out the guy crashed _The Wooing_.”

“Good idea, we should all spread out. I’ll go with Rachel and sit with the guys. By the way Rachel, I love your dress.” Kitty and Nari knew that what Tina actually wanted to say was _Bitch, you ruined my chance for a Warbler boyfriend and now I have to go sit by my ex and be nice to the person that I live in the shadow of even though she moved 700 miles away._ She was in charge of the _Too Young to be Bitter_ club for a reason.

“Britt and I will take Seb” Santana stated firmly, so that a certain person would be sure to understand. She may have calmed down a little, but she was still suspicious of what was going on between Blaine and Mercedes.

Quinn heard the tension in her voice, but assumed it was because of Kurt “We’ve got this, Santana. None us understand how it happened, but we know how much you and Blaine care about each other. I promise Kurt will not ruin this.”

Hearing Quinn and then seeing all of the other girls smiling at her, that turned Santana Lopez into a pile of goo. “Thanks everyone. It’s just with Seb’s family emergency and Blaine agreeing to go to the wedding, this is the Seblaine Valentine’s Day. Blaine’s gone through hell, but he’s done so much for me, with getting me the job and all, that I…”

“We understand, Tana” Brittany had to cut her off before she got too mushy. Santana would hate people seeing that side of her “Blainey’s Angels, we’ve got this, right?”

“Right!”

Meanwhile on stage, Sugar was having her third panic attack in the last 10 minutes “Blainey, I can’t. I can’t do this.”

“Sugar Motta, I love you more than almost anyone else on this planet and I say you can. You’ve worked too hard to back out now. Anyway, it’s too late, Cooper gave the signal. Let’s do this!”

Blaine took a seat at the piano while Sugar walked up to the microphone “Hello everyone and welcome to the Sugar Shack 2.0” She waited for the applause to stop before she continued “Like last year, I would like to thank my Daddy but this year I would also like to thank the new owner of Breadstix since he was able to fix things so we could be here tonight and not last night after the Diva-Off.” The applause was even louder this time because all of those that participated in the Diva-Off had been tired when it ended. “The only thing he asked in return was to be able to sing an opening number. So, here he is, as tall, dark and handsome as ever…”

“Hold up!” Blaine interrupted her, which surprised Sugar since it wasn’t part of her script.

“How come he’s tall, dark and handsome and I was cute and compact?”

“Geeze, Blainey. Jealous much? Anyway, here he is, the new owner of Breadstix, Cooper Anderson!” There was applause, but not that much shock since most people had heard the news. However, Cooper’s well-earned reputation for being an over-the-top performer did have the audience on the edge of their seats.

(Cooper) _Think of your fellow man_  
_Lend him a helping hand_  
_Put a little love in your heart_

(Blaine) _You see it's getting late_  
_Oh please don't hesitate_  
_Put a little love in your heart_

(Sugar) _And the world will be a better place_  
_And the world will be a better place_

Yes, Sugar sang solo. Most of the audience sat wide-eyed, especially since she wasn’t that bad. The exceptions were Nick, Kitty, Thad, Sam and Sebastian who stood and cheered loudly for they all knew how hard she had been working with both Blaine and Cooper. Santana was going to say something to Sebastian, but instead she watched as Mercedes reached over, touched his arm and said “I knew she could do it. Blaine must be so proud.”

What the hell?! How did she know about this?

While the cousins continued to sing, an endless line of servers came from the back. They placed trays of finger foods and bottles of sparkling beverages on each table, all while performing well-crafted choreography. The guests had anticipated something big, but this was like out of a movie. With most of the focus being on the servers, some were surprised to hear the song end.

(S) _Put a little love in your heart_

(B) _Put a little love in your in your heart_

(C) _Come on and put a little love in your heart_

Once finished, and what was deemed to be an appropriate amount of kudos were received, Cooper walked back through the crowd, shaking hands and doing what Blaine referred to as schmoozing. Sugar ran over and got a big hug from Nick and praise from everyone else, including Kurt. He didn’t understand what the fuss was about, but knew when he won Blaine back he would have to deal with that annoying twit.

No one had noticed Blaine had slipped away until he came out from backstage with his blazer gone, which allowed Sebastian to truly appreciate how tight Blaine’s jeans were. He still had the sweater vest on but had untucked the polo shirt and unbuttoned the collar, leaving the untied bow tie around his neck. Sebastian thought people might say something about the fact he was wearing both the silver bracelet and the cuff, but that wasn’t what they noticed.

“I didn’t know Blaine wore glasses” Mike said.

“He had to start wearing them last year after he had surgery on his eye.” Kurt voice dripped with distain, but he became almost giddy when everyone turned to stare at Sebastian. Maybe reminding people that the Meerkat had almost blinded Blaine would get them over the whole _How could you not tell Blaine about the tape?_ crap faster. Shouldn’t they have let it go by now?

Sitting at the next table, Sebastian didn’t turn to acknowledge Kurt’s presence, but did respond “He only has to wear them when his eye is tired and the drops don’t work or when he wants to give me a boner. He knows I find his loose curl, scruff, glasses look super-hot. I should probably warn all of you that since he has that going on with this new disheveled schoolboy look, the two of us may have to disappear to Cooper’s office for a while.” The Warblers that heard him just rolled their eyes, unfazed when Sebastian spoke like that about Blaine. All others within earshot either firmly pressed their lips together or physically put their hand over their mouth to keep from responding. That was all those except for Santana, Nichole, Puck and, unexpectedly, Finn. They all laughed so hard, they almost missed the beginning of what Blaine had to say.

“Can I get everyone’s attentions please? Thank you. I’m going to tell you how the entertainment portion of the evening will go. So, you may notice that we do not have our usual house band tonight. We thought it would be nice if the McKinley Band and Strings were guests at the party for once. So, since this house band is not use to song choices changing at the last minute, they are here only for songs that were prearranged. But fear not! We have an awesome karaoke system and because there are so many fantastic singers in the room, we ask that you use the sign-up sheet. You will also notice that the restaurant has been remodeled and there is a dance floor. I expect to see you out there holding the one you love.”

Sebastian was about to comment, but Blaine gave him a _Do and no sex for you_ stare, so he refrained (even though he knew Blaine was totally bluffing).

“Now, I bet you’re all wondering what these very nice stools are doing here in front of the stage. They are so the one you love can sit on the stool and watch as you pour out your heart through music.”

Kurt knew the _Sit on the stool and watch_ comment was for him, but he wasn’t going to let it bother him. When Blaine saw how happy he was to watch him sing, he wouldn’t say hurtful things like that anymore. They could go back to the way things were, before…oh wait, Blaine’s still talking.

“To demonstrate how the stools work, I’d like to invite Nari Montgomery to come have a seat.” Nari froze, so Kitty and Sugar each grabbed an arm and took her up front. “A couple of years ago a group was formed within the New Directions.” Members from that time stared back and forth between each other, but none of those involved gave it away. “However, they drafted, _*cough, cough* against his will_ , an honorary member…me. That means for tonight only, and just for you Nari, the Justin Bieber Experience will proudly be known as the One New Directions!”

Everyone went pretty insane as Sam, Artie, Puck and Mike joined Blaine on stage. Once they were in place, Sam winked at his girlfriend “Narissa, this is for you.”

(Sam) _Written in these walls are the stories that I can't explain_  
_I leave my heart open but it stays right here empty for days_  
_She told me in the morning she don't feel the same about us in her bones_  
_Seems to me that when I die these words will be written on my stone_

(Sam with Artie) _And I'll be gone, gone tonight_  
_The ground beneath my feet is open wide_  
_The way that I been holding on too tight_  
_With nothing in between_

(All with Blaine in lead) _The story of my life, I take her home_  
_I drive all night to keep her warm_  
_And time is frozen (The story of, the story of)_  
_The story of my life, I give her hope_  
_I spend her love until she's broke inside_  
_The story of my life (The story of, the story of)_

Kurt couldn’t comprehend why everyone was going so crazy. The Justin Bieber Experience was stupid then and it was stupider now. And while this wasn’t technically a Klaine song, it was a song that he thought he and Blaine could sing when they were together at NYADA in the fall. Oh well, it will still work. He just needs that Madame Bitch Tibideaux to give him another audition.

(Sam) _Written on these walls are the colors that I can't change_  
_Leave my heart open but it stays right here in its cage_

David leaned over to Wes and asked “How does it feel to sit here and watch your sister get serenaded like that?”

Wes, the most intelligent person any of them knew, turned to his best friend and said “Shut the fuck up.” Then he watched as Sam removed the microphone from the stand, walked off the stage to Nari and took her hand.

 _The story of my life, I take her home_  
_I drive all night to keep her warm_  
_And time is frozen_

When Sam brought Nari’s hand to his lips and kissed it, the girls in the audience began screaming even louder and Wes just rolled his eyes and wished for the song to hurry up and end.

 _The story of my life_  
_The story of my life (The story of my life, the story of, the story of)_  
_The story of my life_

Before the last note had ended, Nari had jumped into Sam’s arms and kissed him so hard that Mike and Puck had to hold Sam to prevent them from falling over. When the kiss broke, she wouldn’t remove herself from around his neck or waist, so Sam just carried her back to the table. “You’re proud of yourself, aren’t you?” Sebastian whispered into Blaine’s ear after he first got a kiss of his own.

“It’s just nice to see Sam with a girl that appreciates what a great guy he is and not just his amazing abs.”

“True, but that’s not what I’m talking about. Would you please explain what’s going on with your clothes? I’m having a hard, get the hint, time with this unkempt appearance.”

“Nothing’s going on. Time just got away from me and I couldn’t change. That and I was hot. I promise.” He was totally lying of course “I’m going to go change and talk to Tana for a minute, then I promise I am all yours for a while at least. Mingle and have fun, ok?”

“Fine, but don’t be long. And B, something’s going on with your girl. I don’t know what, but she’s definitely hiding something.

Five minutes later, Blaine and Santana were in Cooper’s office and Blaine continued to rid himself of clothes by taking off the sweater vest and bow tie. He also put away his glasses and fluffed out his curls. Santana let out a whistle when she saw the finished product “Damn, Anderson. Is that a shirt or a new layer of skin? I didn’t know they made them that tight. Those workouts you’ve been doing with Trouty have done your body good.”

“Yes, the shirt is tight, even for me. It’s part of my diabolical plan to get back at Bas ahead of time for the song he has planned for later. Super-secret, my ass. Nothing gets past Nightbird. Now, before we talk about what I wanted to talk about, you’re going to tell me what’s wrong.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Yeah, you’re lying. Bas said something’s wrong and I can see it too. This doesn’t have anything to do with what happened in New York does it? Cooper said you guys took care of Travis. Is there a problem?”

“What, you think I can’t take care of things? If I’m doing such a shitty job, why don’t you have your new bestie Mercedes do it for you!”

Ok, didn’t see that coming “What the fuck does that even mean?”

“She helped you with the Diva-Off, she knew what song you were singing at The Wooing, she knew about Sug…”

Blaine walked over and pulled Santana into his arms. Once she stopped fighting, he told her “Yes, Mercedes has been in my life lately, but it’s not my place to say why.” He let go and then led her over to a couch “I’m sure you won’t have to wait much longer to find out, if that helps.”

“It does, thanks.”

He shifted so that she could lay her head on his shoulder, then he made a mental note to talk to Mercedes about telling Santana sooner than the others “You know you’re my best girl not named Mom or Sugar. Right?”

“What about Bibbi?”

“She’s a mythical Fairy Godmother, not a person. She doesn’t count. That leaves the best girl title to you.”

“I know, but it’s kind of hard to believe. I guess I need to hear it sometimes.”

“Well, then it’s a good thing I have something planned.”

Santana pulled back because he was Blaine Anderson and that could only mean one thing “You realize the last time you told me that I had Quinn blow up a piano.”

“I’m pretty sure Cooper would be happy if you didn’t do that this time.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” She tried to read his face to see if he was joking, but nothing had changed. He was serious about this. “So, are you going to sing me a song or not?”

“Well, I thought I was going to sing you a song, but now I think we should sing it together.”

“Why?”

“It’s a song that someone else and I sang to you once and it didn’t go over well. I’d like to give it another shot. You know the words, right?”

“You did not just ask me that.”

When Blaine and Santana came back, Jake was onstage singing _Never Say Never_ to Marley and for some reason, one of the Cheerios that had somehow got an invitation, was off to the side seething. That wasn’t going to turn out well. Sebastian met Blaine before he made it to the table and took him out to the dance floor. For being such an amazing dancer, Sebastian did not like to dance like this. In fact, he wouldn’t even call it dancing.

“Thank you for swaying with me” Blaine said as he rested his head on his boyfriend’s chest and inhaled. Sebastian always smelled so good.

“What can I say? I’ve been dying to get my hands on your ass all evening. And this shirt of yours…I…I”

“You don’t like my shirt?” Oh yeah, diabolical plan working to perfection.

“Oh no, I love your shirt. Let’s change the topic before I drag you back to Cooper’s office and rip it off of you, since that’s probably the only way to take it off. Did you talk to Santana?”

“Yes, and she’s ok. It was a misunderstanding.”

“All right” Sebastian caught that Blaine didn’t say what it was, but he’d come back to it if necessary “What did she say about the song?”

“We’re actually going to sing it together.”

“You know Hummel is going to lose it.”

“You tried to warn him. Rachel, Puck, Mercedes and I think even Finn tried to warn him.”

“You’re sure?”

“I’m sure. Sam’s dad gave me some insight that helped.”

“How did he do that?”

“How else, through a country song. He told me that when it came to Kurt, _My Give A Damn_ _Was Busted._ Come on, I have to talk to Artie. Thank you again for swaying with me.”

“Anytime, B.”

When Blaine finally found Artie, he was pleasantly surprised that Artie had already taken care of what he wanted. Cooper had hired Artie to set up cameras for reaction shots of people “on the stools”. Artie suggested also making videos of the performances for the couples to take home as a memento. Cooper loved the idea and he and Artie had been at Breadstix setting up when Sebastian came in and told Cooper about his trip to the Hudmels. That was when the idea of the _Kurt Kam_ was born.

After Jeff sang a heartfelt rendition of _She Will Be Loved_ (because, come on, Warblers can belt out some Maroon 5) for Nichole, and Nick was reminded by Sugar that he had agreed give their relationship a chance, it was time for Blaine and Santana.

(Santana) _Made a wrong turn, once or twice_  
_Dug my way out, blood and fire_  
_Bad decisions, that's alright_  
_Welcome to my silly life_

(Blaine) _Mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood_  
_Miss knowing it's all good, it didn't slow me down_  
_Mistaken, always second guessing_  
_Under estimated, look, I'm still around_

(Santana and Blaine) _Pretty, pretty please_  
_Don't you ever, ever feel_  
_Like your less than less than perfect_  
_Pretty, pretty please_  
_If you ever, ever feel_  
_Like your nothing_  
_You are perfect to me_

Rachel was surprised when she didn’t hear Kurt react, but when she turned around she realized why…he was gone. To make matters worse, Finn was gone as well. It didn’t take her long to find them. The yelling coming from the men’s room was her first clue.

“Don’t you ever say that to me again!”

“What? That you never really loved Blaine or that it’s obvious how much Sebastian does?”

_*Slap*_

When she opened the door, Rachel saw Finn with his hand covering his cheek. So, and obviously without thinking, she ran in between them “Kurt, go back to the table. Right now.”

“I’m not going back in there to listen…”

“When I begged you to stay away, you said that you would be fine with anything Blaine sang. Even when you knew some of the songs might have a special meaning for you, you chose to come. Were you wrong or lying?” Kurt didn’t respond to her question but did go back. When she was sure he was gone, Rachel turned to face Finn “I know you want him out of here, but trust me, we can’t let him leave. He can’t leave until after the last song.”

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Put A Little Love in Your Heart (The Flash Version): Jackie DeShannon, Randy Myers, and Jimmy Holiday 1969. Yes, this one was not from Glee but did come from the episode of The Flash that Darren guest starred on. So, totally within my self-imposed challenge to make any song Glee song a Blaine/Sebastian/Seblaine song.
> 
> Story of My Life (Glee Version): Julian Bunetta, Jamie Scott, John Ryan, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik 2013. This is a Klaine song but wasn’t on the show until 5x18 (The Back Up Plan), so it had not been performed at this time.
> 
> Perfect (Glee Version): Alecia Moore, Max Martin, Johan Schuster 2011. This was the most requested song. I thought it would be poetic to have Blaine sing it with Santana.


	28. A Little Old Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine’s diabolical plan comes to a shocking end and Sebastian’s super-secret surprise is revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs will have lyrics missing (usually repetitive) and conversations or character actions are there instead.
> 
> I wanted to get this out yesterday to celebrate the special day in our lives, but stuff happened. It was six years ago yesterday that the new insanely hot, Not-a- Freshman Warbler first laid eyes on Mr. Sex on a Stick and so many possibilities were born (Damn you Canon!). To mark this auspicious occasion, I give you a “porno version of Dirty Dancing” and smutty, smutty dirty talk. (Warning?)

Mercedes looked over Santana’s shoulder at Blaine who shrugged and mouthed _Go with it_.

When she finally broke her hold on Mercedes, Santana told Blaine “Ok, you know my rule…secret in, secret out. These are your choices, either I get to tell Hummel that you’re a finalist at NYADA without applying or I get to reveal to Hummel who Bibbi actually is. Pick one.”

“Who’s Bibbi?” Mercedes asked.

“My godmother, and Tana, you are keeping like 20 different secrets, so you just want to torture Kurt.” He didn’t like were this was going but what the hell “NYADA. Since he said he’s done with it and applying to the Fashion Institute, it won’t cause as much drama.”

“NYADA it is. Come on Diva, we’re going to need Berry for this.” Santana linked arms with the confused Mercedes and headed back out to the restaurant. Blaine chuckled and watched them go then...Shit, Rachel! He had forgotten why he come back to the office in the first place. He sent her a quick text and then went to prepare for the final stage of his diabolical plan. The one that would really kick things into overdrive.

Meanwhile, Kurt had been walking around the room, searching for a particular person. Finally, he found the guy talking to Unique of all people. That was good, Unique worshipped him, or had said something like that last year. The fact that he hadn’t spoken to her any time he had helped out the New Directions shouldn’t matter. “Hey Unique, are you having a good time?”

There were no other Blainey’s Angels around, but Unique looked over at Jake and Ryder who immediately knew what she wanted. “I am having a good time, thank you Kurt.

“And who is this?”

“This is my friend Doug. He’s a Warbler which I’m sure you remember from yesterday. Doug, that note you hit and then carried for so long, it was breathtaking. Wasn’t it Kurt?”

“It was pretty good” Kurt knew Unique was baiting him, but he wasn’t going to fall for it. So much for having her on his side. “I don’t know if you know this, but I am also capable of hitting a high F.”

“Doug, Unique, the girls are looking for you.” They left without saying another word and Kurt suddenly found himself alone, confused by what had happened. However, he was more confused by who had told Unique and Doug to leave “Trent?”

“Listen to me, Hummel. None of us give a shit about what you do, but Doug is off limits. Back the fuck off.” Trent didn’t give him a chance to respond but Kurt knew there had to be more going on there than just a Senior Warbler looking out for a First Year. The Trent he knew would never speak to anyone like that.

From across the room Sebastian, Thad and Sam had been keeping an eye on the situation. “This is going to be a problem, isn’t it?” Sam asked.

“Unfortunately.” Sebastian went back to the table to get his drink but stopped when he saw the girls frozen in place, staring back toward the kitchen. “What’s wron…Fuck”

There was nothing wrong. It was Blaine and he had changed again. This time he had exchanged the tight polo for a white tank covered by an open, red button-down shirt with sleeves rolled up to three quarter length. The incredibly tight jeans had been traded in for the leather pants from the Diva outfit which somehow accentuated his ass even more. His curls had been styled and the scruff cleaned up. “Hey guys. Sorry I’ve been gone so long, but I finally had the chance to change from my opening number outfit.”

“Damn Blainers, I think you broke your boyfriend.” While what Santana said appeared to be true, her calling Blaine Blainers and not Seblaine Jr was code for the girls that they had a problem. Kurt was not where they needed him to be and Rachel could not go get him.

“Well, hopefully he’s not too broken. It’s his turn to sit on a stool so I can sing to him.”

And problem solved “Hold on, you can’t introduce yourself. Rachel, take my seat and make sure Seb doesn’t literally begin drooling. Trent, Trouty, when I call him up make sure he doesn’t trip over his tongue.” That settled, Santana pulled Blaine over to the stage “You look sexy as hell, but he is going to want payback.”

“That’s the point. He already has something planned. This is my payback.”

“How far are you two planning on taking this?”

“Mailman far.”

“I like your style, Anderson. Now stay here. I need to make sure Hummel is in place. It wouldn’t be the same without him glaring at the two of you from across the room.” Santana walked up to the microphone and saw that Kurt wasn’t too far from she needed him to be

“Attention everyone, for one of the moments you have been waiting for, it’s time to get some Seblaine love up in here!” She let the audience applaud for a moment, but she wanted to get Kurt moving. “Ok, everyone back to your seats. Come on, hurry up. That means you too, Hummel.” Kurt shot her a dirty look, but did go back to his seat by the guys. Quinn and Mercedes each gave her a thumbs-up to let her know she could continue. “Bring him down boys!”

“I can get myself to the stool” Sebastian growled at her.

“Yes, but will you be able to stay on it? Ladies and gentlemen, Blaine Anderson.”

Once the cheering stopped, Blaine managed to blush and give Sebastian one of his famous bashful schoolboy looks, although the rest of his appearance screamed anything but “Bas, I love you and I’ve wanted to sing this song for you for a while. It is a song from my past, but you’ve said that you wished you would have been there, so this is for you.”

When the intro began, Sebastian knew he recognized it but could not figure out from where. He was too busy watching his boyfriend ditch the bashful schoolboy and go straight to come hither, eye-fucking. Then to turn him on even further, Blaine pulled the microphone off the stand and started to walk, no, slither toward him. Sebastian thought he would be shooting cum before Blaine even started to sing, but then Blaine turned slightly and pointed…at Rachel? What the…NOOOOOOO! He wouldn’t.

_You were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar, when I met you_

Yes, he would

 _I picked you out, I shook you up_  
_And turned you around, turned you into someone new_  
_Now five years later on you've got the world at your feet_  
_Success has been so easy for you_  
_But don't forget it's me who put you where you are now_  
_And I can put you back there too_

_Don't, don't you want me?_

Rachel had been acting innocent this whole time, batting her eyelashes and playing up the _Who? Me?_ When Blaine made it back to the stage, Rachel recognized the signal to stand and untie the tie on her wrap dress, revealing a very short, very tight spaghetti-strap dress in the same color red as Blaine’s shirt. Ignoring the catcalls from her friends, she grabbed a hidden microphone and walked toward the stage as she joined in.

 _It's much too late to find_  
_When you think you've changed your mind_  
_You'd better change it back or we will both be sorry_

 _Don't you want me, baby?_  
_Don't you want me, oh?_  
_Don't you want me, baby?_  
_Don't you want me, oh?_

Puck leaned in toward Beat and Mike “I don’t think Rachel planned for that to happen.” He tilted his head, subtly pointing out that Finn was watching Rachel in the same manner as Sebastian was watching Blaine.

 _I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar_  
_That much is true_  
_But even then I knew I'd find a much better place_  
_Either with or without you_

Santana, who was grinning from ear to ear, decided to kick thing up a notch “I remember Seblaine Jr. dancing behind her, but I don’t remember him grinding her ass like that. Fuck! Did he just bite her? Looks like fucking Sebastian has done wonders for Blaine’s sexual side. I bet they’re into some kinky shit.”

As if on cue, every Warbler within earshot groaned in unison “You have no idea.” It took about a nano-second for them all to realize that they probably shouldn’t have done that.

Santana had been joking, but now she wanted to know and from the expressions on their faces, the other girls did too. She had gotten so distracted that she had completely forgotten about Kurt. That was until he slammed his drink on the table, shattering the glass.

 _Don't, don't you want me?_  
_You know I can't believe it_  
_When I hear that you won't see me_

Sebastian had begun to squirm on his stool. He was pretty damn sure the two of them hadn’t danced together like they were in some porn version of _Dirty Dancing_ the last time.

 _Don't you want me, baby?_  
_Don't you want me, oh?_  
_Don't you want me, baby?_  
_Don't you want me, oh?_

_Oh…Oh…Oh_

Sebastian almost fell over when Rachel did the _arch the back, circle back around and smash Blaine’s dick with her girl parts_ (he couldn’t bring himself to say the P word, even if was only in his head) move. What the hell were they thinking? There were children in the room (Well, they were sixteen which was technically legal in Ohio, but that was beside the point).

From off to the side he heard a distinctive voice egging Blaine on. Holy shit, Sugar was watching this! Blaine would never do something like this in front of his sweet, innocent baby cousin. What the hell?

 _Don't you want me, baby?_  
_Don't you want me, oh?_  
_Don't you want me, baby?_  
_Don't you want me, oh?_

_Don't you want me, baby?_

When the two of them finished, they were staring intently into each other’s eyes and panting heavily. Rachel smiled and giggled “I think I found my new duet partner.” That’s when it happened…this kiss. Full on, lips and tongues everywhere, mikes dropped so hands could move freely. It didn’t last very long. The moment Sebastian registered what was happening he was out of his seat in a flash, grabbed his boyfriend caveman style and drug him toward the back.

“I hope Cooper’s office is soundproof” Puck joked (kind of) as the boyfriends passed his table.

“Oh, but I bet whatever they do will be hot. It would be fun to listen, or better yet, watch.” Once she said it, Brittany looked over at Kurt. She was one of the few people that cared if he got his feelings hurt. Speaking of hurt…“Oh my god, Kurt, your hand is bleeding.”

Meanwhile, Blaine and Sebastian didn’t go to the office but one of the storage closets instead. Sebastian slammed the door then smashed Blaine against it, kissing him hard enough to take the Rachel Berry away. When he finally pulled away he totally lost it “What the fuck was that? You were dry fucking her up there! In front of 100 fucking people! If this was some sort of fucking stunt to piss off Hummel it fucking backfired! I can fucking tell you right now the only fucking person that is pissed off is me!”

When Sebastian finished, Blaine smiled, which turned into a smirk, which turned into that look that sent electricity throughout his boyfriend’s body. Well, it wasn’t going to work this time (maybe). “Oh sweetheart, you didn’t like my gift for you? You see I thought since Kurt decided he’s not in love with you anymore I’d help you kick your old favorite mailman up a notch. You know, the one of me and Rachel kissing. I figured it would be more effective with visuals.”

Sebastian reminded himself that Blaine had done a bad, bad thing. The fact that he was using that voice of his that practically sent him into submission (ok, it totally did) didn’t matter (hopefully). “Why? My old images worked just fine.”

“Oh Bas, you don’t seem to appreciate what Rachel and I did for you. You see starting Monday, for the next two weeks you are my toy to play with as I wish. And when I say toy, I mean I stocked up with Jeremiah, toy. I got one of those remote control vibrators with settings from 1 to 10. I can’t wait for you to have it up your ass during Mr. Mumford’s Economics class. It’s usually so boring. Oh, and I got this modified chastity belt that you’ll put on the Monday after Regionals and then take off that Thursday before our Study Hall in the Library. Once it’s off, I’m going to play out one of my fantasies. I’m going to crawl under the library table and blow you right there. Four days of no touching and then my wet mouth is going to take your entire cock down my throat and you’re going to have to sit there quietly, like nothing’s going on. Plus, I’m going to arrange for Thad to meet you at our table about five minutes after I start. You are going to be so ready to shoot your cum, but if you make one wrong move or facial expression Thad will know right away what’s happening. Doesn’t this sound like fun?”

“No! (yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, please) You’re the one that let Rachel do everything but drop to her knees on during that song. Why am I being punished? I did nothing wrong!”

“You’re right my love, you’ve done nothing wrong…yet.”

What the hell? Blaine said yet and then left him there. Yet what? He hadn’t done anything…Oh shit! Blaine had obviously overheard half of a conversation he had with Trent. The wrong half. He needed to talk to Trent and Mercedes. Now!

As determined as he was to find them, Sebastian stopped when he heard what was happening on stage. Rachel and Finn were up there singing a rather inappropriate rendition of _We’ve Got Tonight_ , not paying a bit of attention to anyone else in the room. That wasn’t going to end well, which had kind of been the theme of the evening. He found Trent talking with Wes and David, but Mercedes was nowhere in sight. “Trent, I need to talk to you and Mercedes. Where is she?”

David rolled his eyes and was visibly frustrated “I’m surprised you didn’t run into her. She and Brittany are in the back helping to get Hummel’s hand patched up.”

“What did he do?”

“Smashed a glass on the table when Blaine and Rachel were on stage and it cut his hand pretty bad. He’s cracking Sebastian. You need to surprise Blaine like in the next 10 minutes if you want Hummel here.”

“Ok, I know Blaine has one more song planned with the girls but I don’t even know who the girls are.” He saw Blaine talking to Jake and Ryder, and even though he was still a little afraid of him, he called him over “Hey B, can you come here a minute?”

“Sure, what’s up?”

“I know you have the Katy Perry song left to do with the girls. Which girls are you talking about?”

“Sugar, Nari and Kitty. Although, I heard Marley is going to perform with them because some quote/unquote Cheerio Bitch keeps trying to hang all over Jake. But, I’m not performing with them anymore.”

“Why not?” Trent asked.

“I would not do that song with them and told them that if I heard them sing one note of it I would have Uncle Robert’s men pull them off stage. They chose another song they said they didn’t need me for, but I have the guys in place just in case.”

Sebastian started to laugh “Damn B, what the hell was the song? I mean Katy Perry…Holy Shit! Did they want to do _Teenage Dream_?”

“No. _Peacock_.”

All eyes immediately went to Wes who went pale at the thought of his little sister singing _Come on baby let me see what you’re hiding underneath_ to Sam. Sam, the blonde Adonis who wore pants so tight as the BDSM Angel that there was no question about what he’s hiding. Or what he wasn’t hiding as the case may be. “I need to talk to my sister RIGHT. FUCKING. NOW!”

“You know, that was the second time today I heard Wes say Fuck. I think that’s the record.” David said, which made the others laugh even harder than they had when Wes stormed off. “I better go after him.”

“No, let me” Blaine offered. “I already had this tirade when Sugar told me the original song. I can empathize.”

Once Blaine left Sebastian told David “Now that B’s taken care of Wes, I need you to go rescue your girlfriend.”

“Mercedes is not my girlfriend.”

“Yeah, hate to tell you this dude, but Mercedes is your girlfriend. You just haven’t asked her yet.”

David was so focused on what Sebastian had said, he literally walked into Cooper “Hey, watch where you’re going. Oh, hi David, You on your way to rescue Brittany and your girlfriend from Hummel.”

“She’s not my…nevermind, but yes, Seb needs Mercedes. So, where have you been all night?”

“Taking care of things behind the scenes, trying to find ways to better secure the kitchen and my office since people think they can just walk in and out, and watching the security monitors.”

“I thought there were like 10 of Mr. Motta’s guys here.”

“Fifteen if count Doug’s team and Dmitri. I still…NO!”

David turned around to see Thad, Nick, Sam and Jake on stools and Kitty, Sugar, Nari and Marley on stage in full-on slutty school girl outfits, complete with pigtails. “I thought the just added Marley. Where did they get an outfit? I bet Wes and Blaine are going to flip out if they’re singing…”

 _Oh baby, baby_  
_Oh baby, baby_

Cooper excused himself because he suddenly had something very important to do. David assumed it had something to do with what was going on onstage, but what was important to him was that if the girls were on then Sebastian was next and he needed Mercedes. He found her, as well as Kurt and Brittany next to a sink designated for medical issues.

“I still don’t understand how Sebastian tricked you Kurt” But Brittany was at least trying which Kurt apricated, so he had more patience with her than others “Just because he said something and it came true doesn’t mean he’s a trickster. He could be a physic or wizard like Harry Potter. Don’t the Warblers go to school at Hogwarts?”

Now there’s a member of the New Directions that actually is endearing “Sorry to interrupt, but Mercedes and Brittany, the final song is next.”

Brittany kissed Kurt on the cheek and left. Mercedes did the same thing but added “Don’t forget to change the wrap when you get home and go to the ER if it gets infected.”

“Thanks Mercy, I’ll see you tomorrow at the wedding.” David started to follow Mercedes out, but Kurt couldn’t help himself “You know you’ll never really be one of them.”

“Excuse me? What are you talking about? I know you’ve heard _Once a Warbler, Always a_ _Warbler_. Well, all Warblers but you and Hunter Clarington. Good company you’re keeping there, Hummel.”

“I’m not talking about being a Warbler, I’m talking about being a Dalton Boy. You’ll always be their charity case.”

“David!” Both guys turned to see an agitated Cooper “Go back to the restaurant. I need to speak to Kurt.” David left but had an unsettled feeing. What had Kurt meant by charity case?

“What the fuck do you think you were doing?” Cooper hissed, trying to control himself and not yell with all of the people around “If you believe for one second that you can replace your blackmail about Sebastian’s parentage with blackmail of telling David about where his money to pay for school comes from, think again. Come with me.” When Kurt hesitated Cooper informed him “That was not a request.” They went and sat at a table in the back and were just in time to see Sebastian take the stage.

'Hi, I’m Sebastian Smythe. I have an announcement from the owner. It is now 10PM and at 10:30PM the Sugar Shack will be closing, so this will be the last song of the evening.” The expected chorus of _Awww_ (s) and _Boo_ (s) rang down since everyone had been having such a good time. “With that out of the way, I would like to ask my wonderful boyfriend Blaine to come have a seat. It’s time for me to pay him back for the song he sang for me earlier.”

Blaine was met with _Oooh_ (s) and _You’re in trouble(s),_ but he didn’t care. He had already proven his point, so he’d let Sebastian have his fun.

“Blaine, I’m pretty sure you overheard part of a conversation I had with Trent, where he said that I should chose a song for you that would express what I love most about you and I sang..?”

He knew he had been caught, so Blaine played along “ _Baby Got Back_.”

The crowd laughed since most of them had heard Sebastian mention Blaine’s ass a few (hundred) times “What my wonderful eavesdropping boyfriend didn’t stick around to hear was that I was joking, and knew exactly what I wanted to sing because the things I love most are Blaine’s big beautiful eyes.”

Well, that got everyone’s attention.

“Blaine forgave me for the worst thing I had ever done, even when I couldn’t forgive myself. So, every day that I have the privilege of looking into his eyes I see that forgiveness but I also see joy, and pain, and passion, and love and a million other emotions. Most importantly, when I look in Blaine’s eyes I see home.”

Trent, Doug, Unique and Mercedes headed up to the stage humming the opening and Blaine felt someone sit next to him. It was Sam who gave him a handkerchief and then clutched his hand. He was there for support. Blaine usually wasn’t on the receiving end of these things.

 _Love I get so lost, sometimes_  
_Days pass and this emptiness fills my heart_

 _When I want to run away_  
_I drive off in my car_  
_But whichever way I go_  
_I come back to the place you are_

 _All my instincts, they return_  
_And the grand facade, so soon will burn_  
_Without a noise, without my pride_  
_I reach out from the inside_

 _In your eyes_  
_(In your eyes)_  
_The light the heat_

 _(In your eyes)_  
_I am complete_

 _(In your eyes)_  
_I see the doorway_  
_(In your eyes)_  
_to a thousand churches_

Every time the background ( _In your eyes_ ) was sung, a different table would join in until practically half the room was standing. It wouldn’t be much longer until every table had joined in.

 _Love, I don't like to see so much pain_  
_So much wasted and this moment keeps slipping away_  
_I get so tired of working so hard for our survival_  
_I look to the time with you to keep me awake and alive_

Blaine was thankful for whoever thought to have Sam sit and hold his hand. There was no way he would make it through this without that stability. What Sebastian had put together was breathtaking. An outpouring of love and support from not only his friends, but those he considered family…Sam, Santana, The Senior Warblers, Wes, David…and of course his real family of Sugar and Cooper. Very few of those there had any idea of how perfect the timing for this was. How much Blaine would need that support in the very near future.

( _In your eyes)_  
_The light the heat_

 _(In your eyes)_  
_I am complete_

 _(In your eyes)_  
_I see the doorway_  
_(In your eyes)_  
_to a thousand churches_

 _(In your eyes)_  
_The resolution_  
_(In your eyes)_  
_of all the fruitless searches_

_In your eyes_

By this time everyone was participating and having a good time, except for a small table in the back “See that Kurt? That is how my brother deserves to be loved and I will make sure he never settles for anything less again. Move on, Kurt. Blaine obviously has.”

 _In your eyes_  
_Oh, I want to be that complete_

Sebastian walked down the stairs to make sure he finished the song with Blaine in his arms, which he did.

 _In your eyes, in your eyes_  
_In your eyes, in your eyes_

The song ended and balloons fell like they did the previous year. People began to bat them around but were ever mindful of the oblivious couple kissing in the middle of the chaos. It took a while for them to separate, but when they did Blaine’s smile was probably the brightest Sebastian had ever seen “I take it I’m not in trouble anymore?”

Blaine looked around the room and basked in the happiness before saying “Not even a little bit. I’ve never been so happy to be wrong in my life. I love you so much Bas. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

“I love you too B. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just found out that today is the 7 year anniversary of the first appearance of Blaine Warbler. Oh, the things you find on Twitter. 
> 
> Don’t You Want Me Baby: ADRIAN WRIGHT, IAN CHARLES BURDEN, JOHN WILLIAM CALLIS, PHILIP OAKEY 1981


	29. Surprises: The Good, the Bad and the Amazing, Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine and Sebastian receive one surprise after another as their day begins, but what Blaine gives someone else might be the biggest surprise of all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Threat of violence and brief mention of past self-harm

_Buzz, buzz, buzz_

“Blaine…Blaine, babe…Your alarm is going off.”

“I didn’t set an alarm. It must be yours.”

_Buzz, buzz, buzz_

“Sorry B. That’s your phone.”

_Buzz, buzz, buzz_

“Noooooo. You’re cuddly and smell good. They’ll stop.” _Buzz, buzz, buzz_ Blaine reached over to his night table and sure enough it was his phone “Rachel Berry, it is 6AM! Somebody better be in the fucking hospital!” After hearing her voice for less than a second, he pulled the phone from his ear to see if he had accidently put it on speaker.

He had not.

_“BlaineICan’tDoThisEmmaWantsMeToButICan’tDoItAloneYouHaveToSingWithMeOhMyGodOhMyGod…!”_

“Rachel, slow down and take it down a notch, or ten. I can’t understand what you’re saying.”

“I need to see you Blaine. I need to talk to you…” And of course, she started to cry. Damn it!

“Ok, ok. Give me a half hour and I’ll meet you…”

“I’m in your driveway. Well, Sugar’s driveway, but I’m here.”

Seriously? He was going to have to speak with the guys “Give me a couple minutes and I’ll be down.” Blaine groaned as he leaned over and kissed Sebastian “Rachel’s here. I promise I’ll be back soon and then we can get back to snuggling.”

Fortunately, Sebastian opened his eyes right as Blaine was about to leave “Um, babe. It’s one thing to open the door naked to Santana, Rachel is another story.” Blaine looked down and yeah, clothes would be a good thing.

When a now dressed Blaine opened the front door he found a puffy-eyed Rachel, but that wasn’t the most noteworthy thing about her appearance “Rachel? Why are you still wearing the dress you wore last night?”

“I slept with Finn.”

Not a big shocker there, he just wondered why he was a stop on her walk of shame. “Come on, I’m going to need coffee for this.” He grabbed a throw blanket from the couch and put it around her shoulders as they walked toward the kitchen. As he made her a cup of tea, and that much needed cup of coffee for himself, he once again noticed the time. It was far too early for this shit, especially when a warm and naked Sebastian was upstairs in his bed “Tell me what happened.”

She talked about how upset she’s been since she found out Brody was a lying sack of shit, and how she and Finn had talked after Kurt slapped him...

“Excuse me? Kurt slapped Finn last night? Why am I only now hearing about this?”

“Can we focus on my issues for a moment, please?! Oh Blaine, I’m sorry.”

“No Rach, you’re right. Let’s focus on you.” So you can leave, and I can have some more hot sex with my gorgeous boyfriend before he has to go home. “What happened after Kurt slapped Finn?”

“You and I sang, which Finn found very sexy. He asked if I would sing a song with him…”

“ _We’ve Got Tonight_? Didn’t you realize that song was about two people that use to be in a relationship deciding that it was a good idea to have a one-night stand? I swear, nobody listens to lyrics anymore.” Blaine felt bad when she began to cry again, but he really wanted her to get to the point “What happened next?”

“I don’t know. Somehow we wound up at a hotel and had the best sex we’ve ever had.”

“And I take it you don’t want a Sex high-five? Never mind, it’s a Puck thing. I still don’t understand where I fit into this.”

“You know how we found out everything the New Directions had ever performed had been recorded?”

“Sue wanted blackmail material in case any of us actually became famous. Right?”

“Right. Well, she let Emma see the videos of all of the song ideas we had for the proposal. She loved my _Without You_ and asked me to sing it at the reception.”

“Doesn’t she know…” Then it hit him “You sang that song to Finn and then he asked you to marry him.”

“Yes” Rachel practically collapsed with relief “Now do you see why I need you?”

“No, not really.”

“I promised Emma that I would sing it, but now I can’t because Finn might take it the wrong way. But if you sang it with me…”

“Why me?”

A tinge of guilt hit Rachel at that point “I was going to say you promised you’d owe me when you asked me to look into you being a NYADA finalist, but there’s something I should tell you first. Before I found out Brody would lay for pay, I had asked him to help since he knew Madame Tibideaux’s assistant. I’m sorry, I thought he could be helpful.”

“It’s ok. You didn’t know this would happen.”

“Thank you, but what I haven’t told you was the next day in Cassie July’s dance class everyone, and I mean everyone, had already heard about _that guy who was a finalist without applying_. Evidently, it was all over NYADA. Brody said the assistant had no idea how it got out or how you were a finalist. But Blaine, that’s not the worst of it.”

“What does that mean?”

“When people showed Brody the video of you and me from last night, he told them that you were _that guy_. I have over 200 messages. I’m so sorry.”

So what? He didn’t care if people at NYADA…wait a minute...“A video of _Don’t You Want Me?_ is online?”

“Oh, Blaine” Rachel pulled out her phone and showed him the video and number of views.

“How the hell does this have 93,000 views already? Fuck! The guys are going to give me so much shit for this!” And then he realized his true nightmare “No, no, no! Santana is going to give me so much shit for this. Fuck!” From the look on Rachel’s face, Blaine could tell she wasn’t the one that had posted it. He’d deal with that person later. “Ok, whatever, its fine (Not really). Back to you. I’ll agree that I owe you a favor, but I’m not going to the reception. I only agreed on the wedding.”

“Not a problem, Blaine Warbler. I’ll ask someone else. Just name one person that saw me sing that version of the song and has identic musical memory. Hold on, I can name someone…You. I bet you don’t even need to rehearse.”

Damn it! She had him there “Alright, I’ll do it. The wedding starts at 4PM. Why don’t we meet up a half an hour before and work out the arrangement?”

They talked a few minutes longer and then he walked her to her car. Once she drove off, Blaine hurried back into the house because it was freezing outside. He probably should have worn more than just pajama bottoms and a t-shirt. When he got back to his room, he started to strip off the clothing but then had a different idea. An evil idea. He very gently crawled back into bed and then snuggled into his boyfriend’s side.

Sebastian couldn’t have scrambled away any faster “What the fuck?! Blaine, seriously. What the fuck?!”

“I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not.” Blaine said when he was finally able to stop laughing. “Oh, stop pouting. You have to leave in two hours and we didn’t get around to giving gifts last night because you were too excited that Cooper had gotten everyone out of the house.”

“Correction, we were excited.”

“Yes, we were. Several times. Now go put something on because we will never get through this with you naked.”

He grumbled a little, but Sebastian agreed with Blaine’s point. He had to go to his drawer (yes, Blaine had given him one) to get his gift anyway “Ok, I suppose you want your gift first again?”

Blaine held out his _gimme_ hands “Duh, have you met me?” They had already given each other cards, so Blaine immediately started tearing away the paper. He smiled when he saw a leather cuff in the box. He had hoped Sebastian would replace the one he had ruined as his gift

“You got me a new cuff.”

“No, that’s your old cuff.”

Blaine dropped the box in disbelief “How? I ruined my old one when I got blood all over it that night when, you know.”

“Did you know that there are businesses that can clean anything off of anything?” Sebastian picked up the cuff and started to point at different markings “While they couldn’t take away all of the stains, the blood is gone. I actually think that’s better. Whenever you think you can’t do something all you have to do is look at your wrist and know you’ve survived much worse. Now, I know you can’t fight…”

Predictably, Blaine had turned into a blubbering idiot “As much as I love my bracelet, it’s easier to wear the cuff when I play instruments. This way I’ll have you with me when I play, no matter what.”

“What do you mean _No matter what_?” Sebastian wiped Blaine’s tears, but he was pretty sure they were no longer happy ones “Blaine, what’s going on?”

“This way I’ll have you with me when you go to California.” Blaine whispered, no longer able to face Sebastian. The thought of losing him was ripping him apart, which is why it totally pissed him off when the bastard started laughing. “What’s so fucking funny?”

“I have to call the Blonde Chameleon because Nightbird’s investigative skills are shit right now. This was the second time he overreacted when he only knew half of a story. I’m not going to Stanford you idiot. I’m going to Columbia. I’ve always said I wanted to go to New York and the fact that it’s my dad’s alma mater pretty much sealed the deal. Don’t tell me if you weren’t destined for Julliard your dad wouldn’t be pushing Michigan.”

“It does have a highly rated Theater Arts Department.” His father had only told him that a few hundred times until his mom made him drop it. “If you were set on going to Columbia, why did you even apply to Stanford of all places? It’s on the other side of the country.”

Sebastian reached out for Blaine’s hands and made sure he was looking at him “I want to get this all out before you say anything. No matter what, ok?” Blaine nodded, but he sure didn’t like how that sounded “Stanford was my _Run away from Blaine school_ …uh-uh, you said you would hear me out. I know you have forgiven me, but you hadn’t last year at this time. I was in love with you Blaine, yet I left you on the ground, screaming because of something I’d done. I had to turn in my applications the week after and I knew you planned on going to NYADA to be with Hummel. So, I talked with my parents, and while my dad was pissed, they agreed to Stanford. That was if I could even get in with what I had done on my permanent record, but that’s not an issue anymore thanks to you. I’m going to Columbia, Blaine. I promise.”

“Oh, thank god!”

The force of Blaine jumping into his arms pushed them back onto the bed. After a rather intense kiss, Blaine started kissing down his neck (after a particularly embarrassing family dinner with his grandparents and Cooper asking why Blaine was wearing a turtleneck, visible marks were forbidden). He knew if he licked right behind Sebastian’s ear he would… “Hey stop…um, wow…ok, that feels good…No…No! I want my gift then we can go for round four. Or is it five?”

“Fine” Blaine grumbled as he pulled the both of them back up and then reached into his night table for the gift. When Sebastian seemed confused by the shape of the box, he said “Let’s just say that once again we have similar tastes in gift giving.”

Inside the box was a silver linked ID bracelet like the one he had given Blaine for Christmas, with one exception “It says _You + Me forever."_

“When you lent me your cuff, I wanted you to have something as well. And since our cuffs matched, it only made sense that our bracelets did too. And by _forever_ , I didn’t mean…”

Sebastian ended his boyfriend’s blabbering with a kiss “You don’t have to explain. It’s perfect. But…”

“But, what?” Blaine tried to fake being offended, but it didn’t last long “Oh, you were expecting a song.”

“Well, yeah…kind of.” Blaine gave him a wink, but instead of getting his guitar he picked up a remote and pressed play. When the song began it was just piano. The tempo was fun, which also became flirty when a guitar came in in response. The two instruments played off of each other and Sebastian finally realized that this wasn’t a song, it was a composition. He started to smile as a signal to Blaine that he had figured it out when…

_Crash_

The music stopped abruptly and then there was silence, which seemed like minutes to Sebastian but was probably only seconds. When the music came back the tempo was completely different. It was dark with a hint of sadness. The piano and guitar were joined by more instruments. Each time a new one came in it seemed to layer on top of the others, until you couldn’t hear the piano or guitar any longer. Sebastian was floored by the intensity, but then he heard it. The guitar was back. It was faint, but it was there and as it became louder the layers of darkness faded. When the piano joined in, the other instruments didn’t go away, they accompanied the piano and guitar in their original melody. At some point a choir came in, no words, just harmonies which sent the crescendo to its apex then…flirty piano and guitar played the song out.

Blaine hit the stop button on the remote and then turn his attention back to Sebastian “Bas?”

“What’s it called?”

“Excuse me?”

“What’s the title?”

“ _Sebastian’s Heart_.”

After Sebastian left for home, Blaine headed to Breadstix. Cooper had asked him to come so he could explain his trip to New York, but Blaine hadn’t realized there was more going on.

“Why am I not terribly surprised by this?” Blaine asked, but didn’t actually expect an answer from the three guys sitting across from him.

“You’re not mad at me, are you dude?” Puck asked. “I mean, I agreed to help you first.”

“No, not at all. You’ve been great. I can’t thank you enough.”

“What about me?” Cooper had been nervous, but Blaine seemed to be ok with things. So far.

“What about you? The fact that you are taking over Al Motta’s quote/unquote investigation and security business or that you hired these two?” Ok, so he did have a problem that Cooper had hired Finn, but they could talk about that in private.

However, Finn knew he was the real problem. Blaine didn’t trust him and he had every right not to “Blaine, again, I’m sorry man…for everything. I know I’ve been a dick, but didn’t realize how big of one until Puck and Cooper explained _Alpha Gay_. But, I’ve got to know man, was I really the reason you stayed at McKinley?”

Blaine took a deep breath. What he was about to say could never, ever, become common knowledge and he had to get that point across. “Before I answer, I want the three of you to understand something. If this gets out, I am willing to forego any music career and beat the shit out of whoever said anything. I am willing to go to jail for this, do you understand? Cooper, I love you, but that means you too. I’m serious. This never leaves this room. Now Finn, would you like me to answer your question?” The other two guys gave Finn an _It’s up to you look_ , but he nodded for Blaine to continue.

“It took a lot of therapy to get me to this point, but no, you were not the reason I stayed at McKinley. I was pissed at you Finn, justifiably so, and I talked myself into believing you caused me to stay. Kurt had nothing to do with my decision either. I stayed for Sugar and only Sugar. I knew when the New Directions won Schuster would never let her come over with the rest of the girls. I put the idea in Quinn’s head to invite all of the TroubleTones to join us and not just the girls that left.”

“Ok, so what was with the threat if we tell someone?” Finn asked. Puck made a mental note to tell Finn that there was one rule when dealing with the Anderson brothers…do not underestimate their love for their baby cousin, or the lengths they would go to protect her. Hell, Blaine had just threatened to beat the crap out of Cooper.

“Sugar blames herself for my depression. My therapist and I had to develop this mantra for her to repeat when she starts berating herself for asking me to come to McKinley in the first place. If she knew that she actually was the reason I didn’t go back to Dalton, it would crush her. And Finn, that wasn’t a threat, it was a promise. Now, can I talk to my brother alone please.”

Puck thought it was a good time to have that chat about Sugar with Finn, so they went back to the kitchen. Once they were gone, Cooper asked Blaine “Are you sure you’re ok with this?”

“We can talk about you hiring Finn later, but Coop, you taking over Dmitri and the guys? Are you out of your fucking mind? How did you ever talk Uncle Robert into that? Mom and dad are going to fucking kill him when they find out! And then they’re going to fucking kill you!”

“They know, Squirt. Honestly, and Uncle Robert offered me the company. Blaine, I’m good at this and feels good to be able to say that.”

That calmed Blaine down, a little bit. “Breadstix isn’t some money laundering business, is it?”

“No, I’m really enjoying the restaurant too. I’m happy kiddo and it’s all your fault.” Cooper reached over and messed Blaine’s hair “God I’m glad you got rid of the helmet. So, was that what you wanted to talk about or is there something else?”

“Uncle Al got them to agree.”

“Who? And why did you call him…Oh, shit! Seriously? To everything? Are you ok?”

“Let me see, seriously, to everything, and it was my idea so yeah, I’m ok. I couldn’t have this hanging over my head, Coop.”

“I know, but I thought you were going to stop protecting everyone and focus on yourself for a while.”

“I am, I promise. While I will help and support the people I care about, the only people I will protect anymore are my family and these two guys, even if one of them will never know.”

“You won’t protect Sebastian?”

“No, we wind up pissing each other off when we do that. From now on, instead of trying to protect each other we’re just going to love each other.”

“Oh my god, you two make my teeth hurt. Now, let’s talk about you coming to the Grand Reopening on Tuesday.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Motta sat in the Nixon’s living room having explained to Doug the plea deal his brother was offered. The boy was having difficulty comprehending everything. “Doug, I promise all of this was Blaine’s idea. He doesn’t want this to affect his life, or yours, any more than it has.”

“I can’t believe he agreed to this. More than that, I can’t believe my parents agreed to letting their precious son do actual jail time.” His foster mom squeezed his hand while her husband studied the deal. There was one other person in the room as well “Trent, are you sure you’re ok with your parents adopting me?”

“No Doug, but I am ok with our parents officially making you my brother.” Trent smiled as he watched his soon-to-be brother and mother hug each other and cry. It was just like Blaine to put the needs of Doug and the other victim ahead of his own. Mr. Motta said that Blaine would explain everything to the guys on Monday, but he couldn’t help but wonder how Sebastian felt about all of this. Although, his best friend may not have had much time to reflect on what Blaine had done. He was on his way home to deal with his own family issues and from what Sebastian told him yesterday, there was a lot to deal with.

Sebastian had made it home, but he had gotten on the road a little later than anticipated because…well, Blaine. Or more precisely, one last round with Blaine. Only this time it hadn’t been the hot and oh so dirty sex they had been having, they had made love. He still couldn’t believe how perfect _Sebastian’s Heart_ was (or how it was already on his Blaine I-Pod. Evidently Doug really was a computer genius). He had played it on a loop the entire drive back to keep his mind on what was good in his life. How Blaine loved him and how amazing their two days of _comfortable_ had been. How he was only months away from moving to the city he had always wanted to live in. How despite everything, he would go to his school of choice even if he didn’t have a clue of what his major might be. How for the first time in his life he had a true best friend in Trent. How he enjoyed spending time with the guys, as well as _some_ of Blaine’s friends, and didn’t just put up with them because he had to.

How none of the crap with his parentage mattered. His mom and dad were his mom and dad. Period.

Sebastian was so caught up in his thought bubble, that he was startled when he heard a sound that in no way belonged in his home…a baby crying. He entered the living area to see his extremely frazzled parents, his mom bouncing a baby in her arms and his dad making shushing noises. It took a moment for him to grasp what was going on “Izzy!” He went to his mother and took his niece out of her arms. As if on cue, the baby immediately stopped crying and gave her uncle a look of undying love. “Izzy-wizzy bear, what are you doing here? Did you come to see your Uncle Sebby? Huh? That’s why you are happy baby now, isn’t that right, precious. Your Uncle Sebby gots you.”

“Her name is Isabella, jack ass.” Sebastian’s sister Sierra came into the room, holding a bottle and looking even more frazzled than his parents.

He took the bottle and then stuck his tongue out at her “First, do not say that donkey word around my niece’s delicate ears. Second, I called her Izzy and she stopped crying…just saying. And last, what the fu..fudge are you doing here?”

“Can’t a person and her daughter fly across the ocean just because?”

“A person, yes. You, no. What’s going on guys?”

The way his parents and sister kept eyeing each other, it was pretty clear what was happening. His mother sat next to him and smiled “Darling Boy, can’t we stop and visit for right now? Maybe save the hard stuff for when this angel decides she wants to take a nap?”

Sebastian was about to say something that he would probably regret later, when Isabella laughed and smiled up at him. His heart completely melted and suddenly something totally off topic made perfect sense “Sugar.”

“Sugar?”

“Yes, mom. Sugar is Blaine’s cousin…”

His dad jumped in “Isabella is your niece, not your cousin.” Then he realized that Sebastian was talking about his boyfriend’s cousin “I’m sorry, son. I didn’t mean to snap like that.”

“I know Izzy is my niece dad. What I wanted to say is that Blaine would do anything for his cousin Sugar. When her mom died, he played his guitar for her every night for months so she could sleep. She is the real reason he transferred to McKinley. He is ridiculously overprotective of her. Every time she goes on a date with Nick, you know Nick Duvall from the Warblers, I think I’m going to have to sedate him. I always thought his relationship with her was a little over-the-top. Ok, a lot over-the-top, but I get it now. I would do exactly the same thing for this princess right here. I will do exactly the same thing for this princess.” He scanned the room and the rest of his family was crying, but that could be because Izzy had worn them out before he got there.

It took another 20 minutes for her to fall asleep. Once she was tucked into her portable crib, Sebastian wasn’t going to wait any longer for answers “Now will you tell me why you left your husband in Paris and flew here?”

“Sebastian…”

“Dad, you promised when I talked to you at breakfast yesterday that you would not hide what’s going on with Julien from me. Why is Sierra here?”

“Julien came to my house three days ago.” Sierra admitted. “He was looking for you, Seb. One of his old buddies saw you when you came for the holidays, so he thought you still lived in Paris.”

“Oh.” Why would his sperm donor, and that was all Julien was, want to see him? It didn’t make sense.

“Son, I know you and Blaine planned on going to Paris for Spring Break, but we’re asking you not to. It would be best if you stayed in the states for now.”

“What’s preventing him from coming here?”

“He’s on parole for the next two years and cannot leave France.”

That was comforting “Ok, I’ll talk to Blaine. I won’t tell him the whole story, but like I told Dad, I’m pretty sure he knows at least part of it.” The expressions of the others didn’t change even though he agreed with their request. “What else is going on?”

Juliette Smythe started to push her son’s hair away from his face like she had done when he was a little boy. All she had ever wanted for him was to be safe and happy. However, in order to keep him safe she was going to have to break his heart “Darling Boy, we need to talk to you about Stanford.”

TBC…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So begins a three chapter arc where a lot of questions will be answered to only have new ones take their place ( *evil writer laugh*). There will also be many more surprises (at least I hope they are).
> 
> Thank you for reading. I would also like to thank those of you that share your comments. They always welcome.


	30. Surprises: The Good, the Bad and the Amazing, Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some surprises are more surprising than others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As done previously, sections of songs have been removed and thoughts/conversations have been put in their place.
> 
> Warning: Mentions of depression. Threats of intimidation and violence.

“498,292”

“Jon?”

“No.”

“Eddy?”

“No.”

“499,014”

“Blainey, what’s going on?” Sugar asked as she sat down on his lap. The two tables the group of friends had taken over at the Schuster Reception were overflowing and there didn’t seem to be enough chairs, but that meant nothing when it came to Sugar. She didn’t need an excuse to sit on Blaine’s lap.

“Two things, Sugar Bear. Santana is counting the views on my video with Rachel, and everyone else is trying to guess Beat’s real name.”

“Oh, that’s…”

Blaine nudged her in the side “Remember Sweetie, it’s a secret” he whispered into her ear. “And it’s not our secret to tell.”

“Got it” she whispered back, and then offered to the group “Dominic?”

“No.” Beat gave her the same answer as the others, but included a nod to express his thanks.

“500,001! I am officially proclaiming _Sugar Shack Boyfriend Shock_ a viral video.”

“That’s enough, Tana” Blaine knew why she was doing this, but he wasn’t changing his mind “Just because Kurt found out about me and NYADA from the video comments doesn’t mean you can tell him about Bibbi. Everyone promised me that this reception would be a _No_ _Kurt Drama_ zone. This is not the time or place for any of that.”

“Unless he starts…”

“Santana.”

“Fine” Obviously, she had her fingers crossed. If Hummel started anything…well, Lima Heights would be involved “Has anyone figured out who originally posted this and what we’re going to do to them when we find out?”

“Oh, I…that’s timing” Blaine motioned over to a messenger that had arrived. He gently pushed Sugar from his lap, walked over to the guy and gave him a tip before taking a package.

“Blaine, there’s a gift table over by the stage” Tina reminded him when he returned.

“Oh, I know. This isn’t for the happy couple. It’s for Brittany.”

“For me? Blaine Warbler? What? I…”

Sam knew what was going on so he stood and motioned to the others “Come on guys, the dance floor looks empty.” Their friends took the hint, but before he left Sam held out his fist “Good job, Nightbird.”

Blaine smiled and gave him a bump “Thanks for the assist, Blonde Chameleon.” At least he had got this one right. Once it was only him and Brittany, and of course Santana, Blaine sat down and tried to explain why she had unwrapped a box with a Cheerios uniform in it.

“Britt, I didn’t want to get your hopes up but it’s real. You just have to keep your grades at a C or above like you are now.”

Santana saw that her best friend and girlfriend were communicating with their eyes and didn’t like being outside of the loop “Full story, Anderson.”

“Tana…”

It was Brittany that couldn’t hold back “The day Sue told me I couldn’t be a Cheerio anymore, Blaine Warbler set me up with tutors and all sorts of other people to help me study, and then he and Artie sang an awesome Brittany/Bieber mash-up for me. Then he went back to Hogwarts, but he made sure I still had help. Now Sammy, Sugar, Ryder and Alice come to tutoring with me and all of our grades are much better. I thought he might stop after what happened between me and Sammy, but I should have known better.” Blaine gave her a wink, remembering how she had cried when he told her that. It broke his heart that she thought he would give up on her, but then realized that was probably what had happened before. “So, you may be his best girl but I was his favorite bi-corn first.”

“You never told me” Santana said, but didn’t know if she was talking to her girlfriend or best friend. She’d figure that out later, right now she was too blown away to fully rationalize what she had heard. “So, how is she back on Cheerios?”

Blaine took that one “Oh, I might have had people talk to people in the school district about ways Brittany seemed to have fallen through the cracks and wasn’t there some way to help her without lawyers getting involved. Don’t look at me like that, I’m not saying. Britt’s back if she wants.”

Next thing Blaine knew he had Brittany in his arms and Santana clutching his hand “Blaine, this is amazing but what does this have to do with the video?”

“Nothing, but the timing was pretty spectacular. Bree posted the video.”

“That Cheerio bitch that was trying to get with little Puckerman last night? Isn’t she one of the captains?”

“Not anymore, Brittany is.” He took back his hand and then kissed Brittany’s cheek “Consequences, my love, consequences. If you’ll excuse me, I have to go repay a favor.”

Across the room, there was palpable tension at the Hudmel table “Are either of you going to tell me and Carole what the hell is going on?” Burt asked.

When there was nothing but silence, Carole huffed in frustration “Listen to me boys, and yes I’m calling you that because it’s how you’re acting. Get over whatever this is or talk to us so we can help, but I am done with the attitudes.”

Kurt took a chance and gave her the standard answer he had given everyone else “It’s nothing. Just a misunderstanding between brothers.”

Finn, on the other hand, chose that moment to let it all out “Misunderstanding? Are you saying that I am misunderstanding that you slapped me because I told you to leave Blaine alone or are you misunderstanding how pissed I am about it?”

Before anyone could say a word, Rachel and Blaine took the stage. Since they were directly behind the bride and groom, the four of them were stuck, none of them wanting to cause a scene. Fortunately, Puck had seen the tension building so he got Mike and Beat to join him at the Hudmel table to act as buffers, or bouncers if necessary. This could have been a train wreck.

Burt and Carole looked on stage, then at each other and finally at the guys at the table, to whom Burt asked “Did any of you know Blaine played the guitar?”

No, this was definitely going to be a train wreck.

“It’s going to be fine, Rach. Take a breath. Are the changes too much?” Blaine had suggested that instead of having full orchestral accompaniment, he would just play his acoustic guitar. The arrangement would be the same but simpler, and more importantly, different from the version she sang to Finn. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

“No, I love our change. I didn’t realize Finn would be sitting right behind Will and Emma.”

“How about the second section we look at Miss Pil…Schu…the bride, but first and third sections we look at each other?” Rachel gave him a quick nod, so he started the monologue they prepared “Hello, everyone. For those that don’t know us, I’m Blaine Anderson and this beautiful person next to me is Miss Rachel Berry.” There were a few snickers from the crowd but they anticipated that “Yes, that’s us in the video, but we’re going to do something different for you. Mrs. Schuster, I know you asked Rachel to sing this but I hope you don’t mind if I help her out a bit.”

Emma gave him a sweet smile, and Blaine was pretty sure Will rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. When he finished the song, he could finally leave and call Sebastian. Rachel signaled that she was ready, so he began to play and let her take the lead.

(R) _I can't win, I can't reign I will never win this game_  
_Without you, without you_

(B) _I am lost, I am vain,_  
_I will never be the same without you, without you_

(R) _I won't run, I won't fly_  
_I will never make it by_  
_Without you, without you_

(B) _I can't rest, I can't fight_  
_All I need is you and I,_  
_Without you..._

(Both) _Without you_  
_Oh oh oh! You! You! You!_  
_Without, you! You! You! Without you_

Rachel turned away from Blaine and faced Emma. She was holding Will’s hand and smiling so brightly that Rachel totally forgot Finn and was able to focus on the bride and groom.

(R) _I won't soar, I won't climb_  
_If you're not here, I'm paralyzed_  
_Without you, without you_

Blaine had been able to do the same thing. Unfortunately, as he began to sing his final part of the section, his eyes locked with someone else sitting behind Emma…Kurt

(B) _I can't look, I'm so blind_  
_I lost my heart, I lost my mind_  
_Without you_

Shit!

He got through the rest of the song and didn’t think anyone else noticed what happened. Maybe he imagined the whole thing? Nah, he wasn’t that lucky but the good news was Beat had been sitting at the Hudmel table. So, after giving Rachel a hug and putting his guitar back in the case, he got Beat’s attention to meet him back by the Under-21 bar.

“Sorry Bud, but if you’re going to ask me if I saw you lock eyes with Hummel, the answer is yes.”

“So, there’s no chance that he didn’t notice?”

“Good thing you can sing because you’re not funny.”

“Shit!”

“Blaine, it’ll be fine. It was like half a second.”

“Thanks.” Blaine relaxed and took a long drink of something he wished had alcohol in it. “How are you doing? Has anyone said anything about you being here without a date?”

“I actually kind of am with one, you know.”

“Ok, let me rephrase. Has anyone said anything about you being here without a girl?”

“No, my epic bromance with Puck has been the perfect cover.” Beat’s entire expression changed when the person they were trying not to discuss gave him a wave “I was so stupid for coming here like this, wasn’t I? I mean, I might be ready to open my closet door but he said he’s never even been attracted to a guy before.”

“Might be ready to open your closet door? That is the absolutely gayest thing you have ever said.”

“I’d roll my eyes, but what’s the point. You wouldn’t be able to see it.”

Blaine jokingly punched his friend in the arm. They had downplayed their friendship in public since he returned to Dalton, but maybe it was time to stop doing that. “Quit overthinking things, Drum. That’s my job. Ok?”

“Thanks Bud. I know keeping my…”

“Stop. I would never say anything. You know that, right?”

“I know.” Beat looked over at their friends. He didn’t know why he kept this from the guys, they would never judge him for being gay. However… “You know I’m actually more afraid of telling them that you and I never lost contact when you went to McKinley. By the way, good save with Sug earlier.”

“Yeah, that was close. I love her to death, but now that she’s not keeping our secret it’s harder for her to keep the others that went with it.”

“Hey, the fact that she’s around Nick and Thad all of the time and hasn’t said anything is pretty amazing. As much as I hated how it happened, I’m glad we’re roommates again.”

“Me, too.”

“And Bud, mom saw the video.”

“Shit!”

“She wants you to come back to LA with me for Spring Break.”

“I’m going to Paris with Bas for Spring Break.”

“LA is warmer.”

“Paris is more romantic.”

“Katy has a concert and the last time we met her she said we could go onstage and sing with her.”

Blaine folded his arms, scrunched his face and pouted “That’s…not…playing…fair!” He was going to continue whining when something caught his eye. Thad was over at the tables, literally doubled over in laughter, with all of their other friends staring at him in disbelief. “That doesn’t look good. Where’s Kitty and her whip when you need her?” Blaine looked up at his much taller friend and asked “You ready to go back?”

“Yeah, and Bud, thanks.”

“What can I say? I’d do anything for my best friend Samuel.”

As they walked back, Blaine took note of the dynamic of the table. Sugar, Kitty and Nari were off with Marley and Unique. That meant the younger element of the group was gone. Puck, Mike, Finn and Rachel had come over and sat down, but no one was talking. They were all just staring at Thad. “What’s going on?” Blaine asked but wasn’t sure he wanted anyone to tell him.

“We don’t really know.” Quinn said, but Blaine could tell she was trying to psychoanalyze the group. Good luck with that. “Thad and Nick were telling us about how Sebastian and Trent are still having problems finding their portmanteau name.”

“And I told Quinn to stop using her fancy Yale words” Sam continued.

“And then Quinn, I hope you told Sam that he and I have a portmanteau name…Blam.”

“Yes, she did” Sam announced proudly.

“And then I asked them to tell us some of the ones they’ve tried” Mercedes told him. “They were all pretty bad and then they said _Smixon_ which I am assuming is a combination of Smythe and Nixon.” Thad almost instinctively began to giggle.

Then it was Puck’s turn. That should have been Blaine’s first clue “And I said that _Smixon_ sounded like one of Santa’s slutty reindeer.”

“Santa!!!” Thad was doubled over again, laughing just as hard as he had before.

Blaine dropped his face on the table. He knew there was no way he was getting out of this. “What part of _A secret you must take to the grave_ sounds like _You can tell everyone in 4 days_? 4 days!”

“You told Harwood who Santa is?” Beat didn’t know why he was upset, but he was.

“Blaine Warbler, you know Santa?!”

Oh great, Blaine had forgotten about Brittany and her love of Santa. Shit! He lifted his head, took a deep breath and prepared himself for the most humiliating moment of his life. He really wished Sebastian was there to share his pain. “No, Brittany, not that Santa. Ok listen up. I am telling this story once. If anyone interrupts me, I’m done and Thad won’t be able to tell you because I am duct taping his mouth shut. I am warning you now, this story involves gay sex so if you want to leave, now is that time.” Sam, Santana, Brittany, Rachel, Mercedes, Quinn, David, Wes, Nick, Mike, Puck, Finn, Beat and Thad. Not one of the assholes even flinched.

Shit!

Back over at the Hudmel table, Burt and Carole where trying to follow Kurt’s train of thought “So, it’s Sebastian’s fault that you and Blaine aren’t together anymore because he tricked you into thinking you should break up with Blaine and that you were in love with him.” Burt was glad Carole asked because he probably couldn’t have said that without adding “What the fuck were you thinking?!”

“Yes, because he wanted Blaine. He told me so before Sectionals last year. Now, I’m going to go warm-up. They may have kept me from singing last night, but when Blaine hears what I prepared, he’ll understand.”

After Kurt walked off, Burt and Carole sat speechless. They had found out a lot of things in the last half hour that they had blissfully unaware of. Carole was about to ask Burt a question when she heard something that she hadn’t heard in months…her son laughing. Not a friendly chuckle, but honest to god belly busting laughter. She found Finn at a table with several of last year’s New Directions plus some of Blaine’s Warbler friends. It wasn’t just Finn laughing, it was everyone. Puck would occasionally jump up and give everyone a high-five. Sam looked like he was trying to support Blaine, but then would begin laughing himself. Mike stared at Puck’s friend Beat like _You knew this_? and Beat nodded. And then there was Rachel. Rachel who was sitting on Finn’s lap with his arms around her waist.

Carole didn’t realize she was crying until Burt handed her a tissue “That’s a sight I never thought I’d see again” he told her.

True, but that wasn’t the only reason she was crying. “Finn asked me today about what I thought about him going to therapy. Puck had Blaine speak to him. He explained that it was hard, but if it wasn’t he wasn’t doing it right. That it was not something he could half-ass or quit if he began to feel better.”

“Like how he said after directing _Grease_ that he had been depressed but the play had cured him?”

“Is it wrong for me to get my hopes up?”

Burt looked at the friends, but couldn’t help but think about the one person missing “I think it’s amazing that Finn is willing to try therapy, but how do we get Kurt to accept that he should try too?”

While Burt and Carole continued their conversation, Blaine tried to text Sebastian yet again. His public flogging had taken longer than expected and now it would be rude to leave before the cake was cut. Damn his parents for instilling manners in him!

Everyone had scattered for the moment. Some were dancing. Some were getting food and drinks. Some were mingling with other guests. Some were on their phones…

“Guess what Blainers? I get to see you and the guys at your Regionals next week” Santana told him.

“How?”

“There’s been this campaign that my boss has been having problems with. I had an idea, so I sent him some pictures and your amazing Godmother wants me to stay here and work out a couple of things. The plane has to go back, but I’m staying.”

Blaine got up, picked her up out of her chair and spun her around “Tana, Bibbi told you to work out one of your ideas. That’s huge!”

“Blaine, she liked my idea. She liked my idea! Oh my god, what if I screw this up?”

“Don’t. You know Bibbi. She would not give you this responsibility if she didn’t expect you to excel. I’m so proud of you.”

They stood there and held each other and let everyone stare, but then Santana pulled away “Blaine…”.

Blaine turned and saw a shell-shocked Mercedes standing behind them, holding her phone. They separated and quickly went to her side, probably the only thing that kept her from hitting the ground. Soon everyone else that had scattered were back, concerned for their friend, but there was one person that was more concerned than the others.

“Mercy, are you ok?” David asked. When she didn’t answer he turned to Blaine and Santana “Do you two know what’s wrong?”

“Maybe. Mercedes, did you get the call?” She didn’t say anything, only nodded.

Santana tried to take her phone, but she couldn’t get Mercedes to let go “Mercedes, you’re going to have to tell David. Hell, you have to tell me! Am I getting a new roommate or what?”

“Santana, what do you mean? I’m you’re roommate!”

“I know Rachel, just…” Santana looked at Blaine to _Do Something_!

“Ok, everyone calm down. Mercedes, you’ve really left us no choice, did you get it?”

“No” she whispered, but then lifted her head and grinned “But, I am the understudy.”

“Roomie!” Almost everyone was beyond confused as Santana, Mercedes and Blaine began hugging and jumping and crying together.

Rachel, on the other hand, started to put the pieces together. Mercedes would have to move to New York to live with Santana. If Mercedes was moving to New York to be an understudy, that meant Broadway. And if it was Mercedes and Broadway, that could only mean “Oh my god, you’re going to be the understudy for Effie in the Broadway Revival of Dream Girls?”

All David heard was “You’re moving to New York?” When Mercedes smiled, he pushed Blaine and Santana away and planted a huge kiss on her. Everyone cheered, well everyone but the one diva that thought she would be the Broadway star of the group. She knew she shouldn’t be jealous, but…before she had to start justifying her feelings, Rachel felt a familiar hand take ahold of hers. She looked up to see Finn giving her a smile that he understood and would be there for her. He always did know her best.

“Yo, clearly we’ve missed a lot, but Blaine you need to go.” Artie had joined them as well as Sugar, Kitty, Nari, Tina and the rest of the New New Directions.

“Why?”

“Kurt’s about to sing and I heard him say something about showing up the Meerkat and his pathetic attempt at a big, romantic gesture.”

“Too late, dude.” Sam pointed out that Kurt was already on stage. “What do you want to do?”

“There’s nothing to do. I’m not causing a scene and neither are any of you. Everyone grab a seat, this should be interesting.”

Kurt didn’t introduce himself or say something to Will and Emma like all of the other performers had. He just signaled for the piano player to begin.

 _Someone to hold you too close_  
_Someone to hurt you too deep_

 _Someone to sit in your chair_  
_To ruin your sleep_

Most of the people in the room did not recognize the song, but Blaine and Rachel did. Both of them had to admit that the song selection was surprising…in a good way.

 _Someone to need you too much_  
_Someone to know you too well_  
_Someone to pull you up short_  
_To put you through hell_

The attitudes that everyone had developed toward Kurt the last few months softened. The Kurt that was on the stage was the old Kurt. The Kurt that they had all once cared for in some way.

 _Someone to crowd you with love_  
_Someone to force you to care_  
_Someone to make you come through_  
_Who'll always be there_  
_As frightened as you_  
_Of being alive_

 _Being alive_  
_Being alive_  
_Being alive!_

Rachel couldn’t help but think that if Kurt would have sung this for his NYADA audition he would have gotten in.

 _Somebody need me too much_  
_Somebody know me too well_  
_Somebody pull me up short_  
_And put me through hell_  
_And give me support_  
_For being alive_

 _Make me alive_  
_Make me alive_

 _Make me confused_  
_Mock me with praise_  
_Let me be used_  
_Vary my days_

 _But alone_  
_Is alone_  
_Not alive_

 _Somebody crowd me with love_  
_Somebody force me to care_

Wes, David and the other Dalton boys looked at Blaine and began to panic. He had that face. The _There you are. I’ve been looking for you forever_ face.

 _Being alive_  
_Being alive_  
_Being alive!_

Blaine left the table and Kurt ran off the stage to follow him. Sam and Santana went to do the same, but were blocked. “David and I will go. The two of you are too emotional.” Wes told them.

David could see that wouldn’t be enough “He can handle Kurt. The Blaine from six months ago couldn’t, this Blaine can. We promise we’ll jump in if we have to.”

“Fine, but know this. If Kurt hurts him in any way, I’m going to take care of him but she’s going to take care of the two of you.” Sam had spoken for the both of them, but when Santana sat back down the former Warblers took it as a sign to go.

While they went in search of Blaine, Kurt had found him in the men’s room splashing water on his face. “You cannot tell me you don’t still have feelings for me. I know that expression you had as you watched me sing. It was the same one you had when I sang _Blackbird_. The same one you had when you realized you loved me.”

Blaine got a paper towel to dry his face which allowed one of the now Mrs. Schuster’s relatives to leave before things became even more awkward “I want you to listen to me. I love Sebastian. I love him in ways I never thought possible, but you’re right. I do still have feelings for the Kurt that was up on that stage. My problem is that Kurt doesn’t exist anymore.”

“Blaine…”

“No! That Kurt is gone and has been for a long time. He was probably already gone by the time I got to McKinley, but for some reason I didn’t notice. I don’t know what happened to him, but if I am responsible in any way I’m sorry. I’m sorry for him and I’m sorry for me because I miss him.”

“Blaine, come with us. Sam and Santana need to see you.” David held out his arm and Blaine walked past Kurt to him. They began to walk out, but Wes hadn’t moved “Wes?”

“You two go. I’ll be there in a minute.” David escorted Blaine out of the men’s room and Wes locked the door behind them.

“Listen Wes…”

“Oh, will you just shut the fuck up Hummel? I have spent two years listening to your whiny, woe-is-me bitch fest and I am done. Stay the fuck away from Blaine.”

Huh? This was Wes? The way Trent spoke to him last night was surprising. This was mind-boggling “Wes…”

“Did I say you could speak? You know what, you’re not worth it, but hear this. I know all about that charity case nugget you tried laying on David last night. Drop it. Drop it now or I swear you will regret it. Don’t believe me? Think about this…Blaine had to learn about consequences from somewhere.” Wes unlocked the door, but wanted to make sure Kurt got the point. “Oh, say hi to Karofsky for me next time you see him. Hopefully he’s gotten that pesky drug problem under control. It would be a shame for him to be snagged a second time.”

Back at the table, Santana let out a sigh of relief when David come back with Blaine. She got up to greet him, but Brittany pulled her back and pointed to the door.

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Without You: DAVID GUETTA, FREDERIC JEAN RIESTERER, RICHARD PRESTON JR BUTLER, TAIO CRUZ, USHER RAYMOND, GIORGIO TUINFORT 2011
> 
> Being Alive (from the Musical Company): Stephen Sondheim 1970
> 
> I chose to have Mercedes win the role of understudy primarily due to her age as she would be 19 here. I know, canon…Rachel…Funny Girl…no.
> 
> There were "Easter Eggs". Several, in fact. Did you find any?


	31. Surprises Part III: Things That Make You Say Hmmm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes all you can say is WTF

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, but all issues are taken care of so I’m back to my favorite boys (At least now. I really disliked them during the part of the delay that was my writer’s block).
> 
> Warning: Chapter contains Light

_Back at the table, Santana let out a sigh of relief when David come back with Blaine. She got up to greet him, but Brittany pulled her back and pointed to the door._

“Blaine, you worried a lot of people when you left after Kurt sang. I’ll get them to back off, but you should probably go.” David told him as they reentered the ballroom.

“I don’t want to run off, but I do want to talk to Bas.”

David smiled and motioned toward the door “Then go talk to him.” Sebastian was standing in the doorway, looking quite dashing in his immaculately cut tuxedo. He locked eyes with Blaine and everything else melted away for the two of them, even though everyone not watching the cake cutting ceremony was watching them.

When Blaine reached Sebastian he could tell something was off by the intensity of the vibe he projected. But in that moment, as bad as it sounded, he didn’t care “You’re here.”

“Your tux doesn’t have a bowtie.” In the background, the cake cutting finished and Jake began to sing All of Me “I want to dance with you.”

“Of course, Bas. I want to sway with my boyfriend too.”.

“No, I want to dance.” Sebastian took Blaine’s hand, led him to the dance floor and then held form. Blaine joined him and tried to think back on all of those dance lessons he had taken as a kid. However, back then he had always led so he had to think and then reverse it. Fortunately, it did not take him long to figure it out and the result was absolutely breathtaking. So much so that everyone else left the dance floor to watch, thinking this was something Will and Emma had arranged much like having their students sing. No one seemed to bat an eye at the fact that it was two boys dancing together.

Curiosity among the couple’s friends went up a few levels when Trent and Doug walked up. “What’s going on?” Wes, who had just rejoined the group after his _chat_ with Kurt, asked.

Trent shook his head and shrugged “No clue. I got a call from Sebastian asking me to bring him here. When we got to his house he was waiting in the driveway dressed like that.”

 _'Cause all of me_  
_Loves all of you_  
_Love your curves and all your edges_  
_All your perfect imperfections_

“They look like Disney princes” Brittany sighed. While she was drawn in by the visual the couple portrayed, she also knew how technically difficult their dance was.

“Yes, Disney princes that everyone is staring at.” Mercedes turned at Mike and asked “Is there anything you can do about that?”

He took a deep breath, stepped forward and held out his hand, but not to Brittany as expected “Want to give them something else to stare at?”

“Are you sure?” Beat was stunned but extremely happy for the turn his date had taken.

“No” Mike chuckled, well aware of the major New Directions drama this would cause “But I get to lead.”

“Ok…this time.”

Artie, who was patting the hand of an almost catatonic Tina, said what they all were thinking “That was unexpected, but least people aren’t only staring at Blaine and Sebastian anymore.”

 _How many times do I have to tell you?_  
_Even when you're crying you're beautiful, too_  
_The world is beating you down, I'm around through every mood_  
_You're my downfall, you're my muse_  
_My worst distraction, my rhythm and blues_  
_I can't stop singing, it's ringing in my head for you_

 _My head's underwater but I'm breathing fine_  
_You're crazy and I'm out of my mind_

After the shock of watching Mike and Beat join Blaine and Sebastian wore off (a little), others decided they should join them as well “May I have the honor?” Nick asked Sugar.

“Of course.”

Before Sugar could leave, Kitty grabbed her best friend’s arm “You can dance like that?”

“Who do you think had to take all those dance classes with Blainey?”

While that was going on, Quinn leaned to Wes and said “My mother had me in my first Debutant Ball the day after I turned 16.”

Wes took the hint. “Miss Fabray would you care to dance?”

“I would love to.”

 _Love your curves and all your edges_  
_All your perfect imperfections_

 _Give your all to me_  
_I'll give my all to you_  
_You're my end and my beginning_  
_Even when I lose I'm winning_

Santana found her way over to Sam “Did you see Kurt walk out when he saw Blaine and Seb dancing?” Sam nodded back at her but it was evident that neither one of them knew if that was a good or bad thing.

 _Cards on the table_  
_We're both showing hearts_  
_Risking it all_  
_Though it's hard_

Rachel moved back closer to Finn “We should learn to do that.”

He knew she most likely didn’t realize what she said, but he wasn’t about to correct her “You’re right. We should.”

 _Give your all to me_  
_I'll give my all to you_  
_You're my end and my beginning_  
_Even when I lose I'm winning_

 _'Cause I give you all, all, all of me_  
_And you give me all, all, all of you, oh_

While Blaine had thought from the start that something might be going on with Sebastian, by the time they were leaving the dance floor there was no doubt. Now he was worried and felt it was best if they didn’t rejoin their friends.

“Let me take you home.”

“No.”

“Let me take you to Uncle Robert’s.”

“Ok.”

Blaine pointed at David and Mercedes and motioned for them to come over “Bas, I have to take care of a couple of things before we go. David and Mercedes are going to sit with you at that empty table by the door and keep the crazies away. Ok?” None of them said anything, just headed for the table Blaine had pointed out.

The first stop Blaine made was to see the bride and groom “Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Schuster for inviting me. It was a lovely wedding.”

“Thank you for singing with Rachel. Your rendition was beautiful.” Then much to Blaine’s (and anyone else’s) surprise, Emma stepped forward and hugged him. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure Will doesn’t stick his nose into what happened” she whispered.

“You shouldn’t have to do that, it’s your wedding night.”

“How else do you think I was going to keep his mind off of things?” Wow! That woman was full of surprises.

On his way to find Sam, he stopped and gave Sugar a hug and told her he would talk to her tomorrow. When he did find Sam, they discussed what time they were going to meet up on Tuesday. After that was settled, Blaine asked a favor of his best friend. “Please keep the McKinley gossip mill in check.”

“I don’t think you have to worry with the bombshell Mike and Beat dropped.”

Shit! He had seen Beat dancing with Mike but hadn’t put two and two together with all that was happening with Sebastian “Try to help with that too.”

“I’ll try, but Dude, that one will be hard. Tina has totally lost her fucking mind.”

Blaine was frustrated that he couldn’t be there to support Beat. It was a good thing his roommate was the final person he wanted to talk to. “Are you ok?”

Unfortunately, when Blaine asked that he didn’t notice Senior Warblers were standing right behind them. “I’m fine, I promise” Beat assured him. “What about you?”

Blaine appreciated that he didn’t ask about Sebastian. He liked Mike, but now wasn’t the time for explanations. “I’ll be ok. Drum, can you do me a favor and get my acoustic back to the dorm. I…”

“Bud, I’ve got it. Go.” Blaine squeezed his hand and headed back to Sebastian. It was only then that Beat realized they had screwed up. They had called each other by their code names and there was no way those standing nearby didn’t hear them. If there wasn’t going to be questions for him back at Dalton before, there were certainly going to be some now.

He motioned toward the stage where Blaine’s guitar was “Mike, I should go get that.”

“Why don’t we get it and go? I’d like to spend the rest of our Valentine’s Day without an audience.”

It took only 30 seconds after they left for Trent, Thad and Nick to huddle together. “You heard that. Right? Beat called Blaine, Bud. I wasn’t hearing things?” Thad asked the other two.

Nick nodded as he continued to watch Mike and Beat “Bud, as in Beat’s super secret boyfriend that he won’t talk about because he has yet to tell us that he’s gay? Yeah, I heard it too.”

“We always assumed Bud was Beat’s boyfriend. We never knew for sure.” Trent reminded them. “What I do know for sure is that Beat, or I guess Drum, and Blaine/Bud were still talking even after Slushie-gate.”

Thad’s eyes popped open as he remembered something “Beat left school that next week with a family emergency. Do you think he was in Detroit for Blaine’s surgery?”

“I don’t know but with what happened this evening we may have an opening to get some answers.” Trent looked over to the exit and saw Blaine and Sebastian leaving “Hopefully, we can get some other answers as well.”

Across the room, Santana and Finn had cornered Puck to get some answers of their own “Did you know Mikey’s secret?” Santana asked him.

“It was kind of hard not to after I caught them kissing at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Or is it New Year’s Day? Anyway, I called myself their platonic beard. It wasn’t a problem because I really like Beat and after what happened to you and Karofsky last year, I wanted to help.”

Finn cringed at Puck’s statement “Santana, again I am so sorry…”

“Yeah, yeah. You can do your whole grovel/kiss my feet mea culpa again later. Right now I want to know what’s wrong with Seb. You guys work for Cooper. Do either of you know what’s going on?

“Drop it” Wes, who had appeared out of nowhere, told them.

“That’s not happening.”

Wes got a look on his face that Santana had only seen once before. It was the time she had figured out Blaine was Wolverine and he told her to let it go but she couldn’t. She would never forget that look.

“Yes, it is. This is a Warbler problem as it concerns Sebastian. I don’t care if Blaine has let you three in. The only non-Warbler that gets information is Sam and he knows not to say anything. You see, once Blaine was away from those of you who graduated, Sam was able to see the fucking depression he had spiraled into and convinced him to do something about it. You Seniors, with few exceptions, treated him like a human juke box and then tossed him aside for competitions. Well, except for Sectionals where he saved your asses when Schuster let the group implode. And don’t get me fucking started on that Alpha Gay bull shit or the other damage Hummel did to him. Before you say anything Puck, your passive aggressiveness makes you just as culpable as the rest of them. And Mercedes sought council from her church, truly apologized and talked things through with Blaine on multiple occasions. Is that something you’ve done Lopez? Would you even be _Blaine Warbler’s Best Gay_ if it didn’t come with all the fucking perks?”

Santana headed right for him, but the guys were able to stop her “Who the fuck do you…”

“Oh, just shut the fuck up. Huh, that’s the second time I’ve told someone from McKinley that in the last half hour. Oh, back to your question. Who the fuck am I? I am the one that put Blaine back together after his attack. I regret every day that I didn’t see what your Glee Club was doing to him. Trust me, that will never happen again. Of course, I will play nice for Blaine’s sake, I am a Dalton boy after all. And while I am beginning to come around on some of the New Directions, there’s no way I trust the three of you. So, do what I said or you will never see the consequences coming. Just ask Dave Karofsky.”

None of them said anything until after Wes had gone. They had all heard the term consequences before, but only as it pertained to Fight Club. Finn wouldn’t know any better, but Puck and Santana had both been under the impression that Wes wasn’t involved with that. And they had no idea how the hell was he involved with what Blaine had done to Karofsky.

“Isn’t he supposed to be the one that doesn’t swear?” Finn asked, breaking the silence but not actually expecting an answer.

“Guys, I say we drop it for now” Puck suggested. “I’ve always said Dalton’s Fight Club, and I guess the Warblers, are run kind of like the mob. I thought Blaine ran things because of who his uncle is and since he’s Wolverine, but I think we just met the Godfather.”

While the reception was drawing to a close, Blaine and Sebastian were back at the Motta’s. Sebastian was sitting on the edge of Blaine’s bed while Blaine was trying, but failing, to get him to look up. “Bas, what do you need from me?”

“I don’t know.”

Blaine took a breath to steady himself. He knew what he had to do but it frightened him a little. This had always been for fun, for pleasure. It wasn’t going to be that way this time. He didn’t want to make things worse. The first thing he had to do was change his voice to the tone that he knew would have Sebastian doing what he told him to do. “Bas, listen to what I’m telling you very closely. I am going to get what I need and then undress us, but you are not to move unless I tell you to. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

Blaine left his side for no more than a minute before he was back and true to his word, Sebastian had not moved. “Bas, I don’t know what happened, but whatever it was hurt you badly, maybe even tried to break you. I’m not going to let that happen, but in order to do that you are going to have to let me take control. If at any point you feel uncomfortable I want you to say _Mirrors_ , ok?” He might have to use You+Me, so he thought Mirrors might be a safe…ok, not going that far. “Bas, I need you to answer me. What’s the word?”

“ _Mirrors_.”

“I’m going to undress us now. Remember, do not move unless I tell you to.” Once again, Sebastian did as he had been told and Blaine removed their clothing one for one. Jacket for jacket, tie for tie and so on until they were lying beside each other, naked. “You did so amazing, Bas. This is what we are going to do now. I’m going to give you back some control, but there are conditions. You have to keep your eyes closed and you can move but you have to remain lying here like this. You also cannot touch either me or yourself. I have things here that will help you with those tasks but then you are not taking back control. Do you need help?”

“No.”

“That is a good…” Nope, not saying boy “That is really good, Bas. I’m proud of you. Now, this second condition should not be a surprise. You must take control of your body so you cannot come until I say you can. However, I am going to allow you to speak, moan, groan, beg, whatever you want. No silent sex, but if you do speak, moan, groan, etc., you must control your voice so that only I can hear you. Bas, I also have things here that will help you with these tasks. Do you need help?”

“No.”

Ok, through that part. The rest should be much easier. “Again, I am so proud of you. While you are focusing on regaining control, I am going to remind you of the strong, confident, incredible person you are. The person I love. Have I ever told you the first thing that drew me to you, besides the fact that you are insanely gorgeous? That cocky smile of yours. You were so self-assured. I envied you for having that smile since at the time I didn’t have mine.” Blaine kissed him and then began to work his way down Sebastian’s body, stopping occasionally to tell him what he loved about that part of him. At one particular freckle, Blaine bit him probably a little too hard and Sebastian moaned louder than he should have. When Blaine got up and went to get a drink of water, he learned his lesson.

By the time Blaine got to his fingers, waxing on about how sensual Sebastian’s touches were, the begging began.

“B, please.”

“Please what?”

“Please, Sir?”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it. I should punish you, but your little comment was a sign that my Bas is coming back to me. So, please what?”

“I need to come.”

“But, I’m still on your upper body and you are very tall.”

“B, I know you love me. Please, please let me come.”

“Ummmmm…No.”

Sebastian’s eyes flew open, but he quickly shut them again when he saw the scowl on Blaine’s face “Uhhhhhhh! Please. I’m literally begging. This is the part where you say _Come for me, Bas_ in that sexy voice of yours…gah…um…and I shoot cum everywhere without my cock being touched. Mmmm…please, Blaine. I swear I can break my record and actually hit the ceiling this time.”

“Ummmmm…No. There’s something you have to do first.”

“Anything!”

Blaine scooted himself back up to Sebastian’s ear and whispered “First you have to make me come.”

It took less than five seconds for Sebastian to be between Blaine’s legs with his cock in his mouth. The pain in his own cock subsided just a bit as he watched Blaine. The faces he made when he was completely in the throes of passion were by far the most beautiful things Sebastian had ever seen. When he felt Blaine’s fingers in his hair, Blaine’s tell-tale sign that he was close, he knew he wasn’t going to last much longer either. In fact, when the first taste of cum hit his tongue Sebastian had to let go as a primal scream left him. The two of them held on as they rode out their orgasms, neither able to form words but both knowing what the other’s body was saying.

On his night table were the towels Blaine had grabbed when all of this had begun. It was pretty obvious that they were not going to be enough. However, before they got up to take care of things, something else had to be settled first. He wasn’t going to ask Sebastian what happened before he got to the reception but he did have to ask “Are you ok?”

“I will be but I’m never going to think about the song _Control_ in the same way again.”

Blaine couldn’t help but let out a snort as that was a song they both had performed. “I hadn’t thought of that. Now, go take a shower while I put this bedding in the wash. And Bas, call your parents. I’m pretty sure Trent told them you are with me, but they don’t need to worry about you when it’s supposed to snow tonight.”

“Fine.” He actually would probably just send a text, but Blaine didn’t have to know that. He was half way to the bathroom when he remembered “Oh crap! The only thing I have to wear is my tux.”

Blaine, who had thrown on some pajama pants and a t-shirt, pointed to the closet “There’s bags in there with some clothes for you. Pretty much stuff like what I have on plus some socks and underwear. There’s also some of the stuff you use to make yourself pretty in the bathroom.”

“When did you do all of this?”

“Today after I talked to Cooper. Rachel’s walk of shame gave me the idea. I didn’t think you’d need them this soon though.” Blaine finished putting the bedding in his laundry basket and then gave Sebastian a quick kiss. “This should only take a few minutes to get started. Don’t use all the hot water. And call your parents. Whatever happened, they love you.”

Once Blaine was out of the room, he picked up his phone and saw that he had 10 messages from his parents. He became so angry that he threw the phone across the room. Then he began to cry.

“If they really loved me they wouldn’t make me leave him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I chose to have Jake sing All of Me based on his renditions of Never Say Never & Let Me Love You. I wanted Blaine and Sebastian focused on each other.  
> All of Me: John Legend 2013
> 
> This is not the first of my stories where I have chosen to (for lack of a better word as I type this) make the character of Mike bisexual. It has nothing to do with the character the actor is currently portraying. It has to do with the canon episode (shutter thinking about the Klaine part) A Wedding (don’t get me started). The part where Tina proposed to Mike, they had made such a big deal about her being a Hag that I was yelling at my TV “Mike, tell her you have a boyfriend!”
> 
> This was a little outside of my box so (constructive…good or bad) comments welcome.


	32. 98 Percent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s the week of Regionals and Blaine is being pulled in many different directions. Will a surprise call send him over the edge?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Several Flashbacks told in italics.

98% of the time Blaine had no doubts that his decision to return to Dalton was the right one. Today was firmly in the 2%. One again his _Academic Detour_ to McKinley was biting him in the ass.

Starting this week of the school year, all Seniors in good standing were finished with classes and were assigned their Senior Projects. The exception was Advisory which went from Friday mornings to Monday, Wednesday, Friday. However, Advisors only kept track of progress, students were expected to organize and maintain their own rigorous schedule.

Blaine’s parents had come back from Hawaii the night before and were at Dalton earlier that morning. The three of them had a meeting with (still acting) Head Master Montgomery who explained that he was indeed behind on his graduation plan. He was missing the community service hours from his Junior year and he had not taken the Advanced Placement test in Biology (actually he had tried and failed, but Wes’ dad was being nice). Making up the Biology shouldn’t be a problem as now he wasn’t only working from the knowledge he acquired (or not) at McKinley. It was the community service hours that were an issue. Although he had chipped away at them, he was still significantly behind where his friends were.

Mr. Montgomery saw three factors that were a hinderance to his completion. The first was that Blaine would be missing time this week as those involved in his attack were sentenced. Then next week, he and several others were to give depositions in Dalton’s cases against the former Head Master as well as Hunter Clarington. In fact, so many Dalton Seniors were involved that counselors had been busy rearranging college visits. They would now happen after Spring Break.

His final concern was if the Warblers made Nationals as everyone expected, Blaine would devote a lot of time to preparation. Mr. Montgomery suggested Blaine delegate more than usual, but they all knew that wasn’t going to happen.

With those factors in mind, Mr. Montgomery told them he had held a meeting with all department heads concerning Blaine. It was not a surprise for Blaine’s parents (or Blaine himself if he was being honest) to hear that Blaine was a favorite amongst the majority of faculty members and they wanted to help. They agreed to work across departments to assign him projects that would settle his requirements in more than one subject at a time. It sounded like a perfect solution...until now. Now that he was sitting in a practice room staring at a blank piece of sheet music. Who the hell thought to put his Music Theory teacher and the head of the Foreign Language Department together to create a project?

Writing a song? No problem. Writing as song in Italian? Problem.

He should have stuck with French.

Nothing was coming to him. He had already switched from his tablet to paper when he found himself playing _Candy_ _Crush._ After a loud groan of frustration and throwing his pencil across the room, he gave up then chose to pick up his guitar rather play piano. If he wasn’t coming up with something new, maybe playing something old would inspire him. At least it would get rid of the melody stuck head. It wasn’t right for what he had to work on.

On top of everything else going on, Blaine was more than aware that he had not practiced nearly enough for his Julliard audition. He planned on performing three songs, each with a different instrument. For _Sebastian’s Heart,_ he had Doug remix the exchange of piano/guitar to piano/violin and he would play the violin portion live. Next, he would perform his acoustic guitar version of _I Dreamed a Dream_ and would finish up on piano, going full on Freddy Mercury with _Bohemian Rhapsody_ (yes, somewhere Jesse St. James had just died a little inside). Again, another plan that had seemed like a good idea at the time, but his hands weren’t close to where he needed them to be. He hadn’t played all those instruments on the same day, let alone consecutively. The only positive was that his audition had been moved until after Spring Break.

Maybe he could convince Beat’s mom to give him some practice time in one of the studios when they are in LA.

** Flashback…Valentine’s Evening, Motta House **

_“Your choices are fettuccini alfredo or cereal.” Blaine told Sebastian when he asked if there was anything to eat._

_“Fettuccini alfredo?”_

_“Rosa knew since you went home, I would come here after the wedding and be hungry because wedding food is notoriously bad. What? Can I help it if I’m her favorite? By the way, that food was awful. No, awful would be a complement.” Blaine turned on the oven and then sat on a stool at the breakfast bar beside Sebastian “You know you don’t have to tell me what’s wrong, but I’m pretty sure you didn’t smash your phone by stepping on it.”_

_“We can’t go to Paris for Spring Break.”_

_“Ok.”_

_Not the answer Sebastian was expecting “What do you mean “ok”? You bugged me for two weeks on how it would be so romantic, and not a total cliché, to have a picnic by the Eiffel Tower. You wrote me a poem, B. I distinctly remember the line…Bas, I want to put my ass on the Parisian grass.”_

_“Of course, that would be the line that you remembered.” Blaine stopped smiling as their conversation took a more serious turn “I know there’s a reason we can’t go and I’ll wait until you’re ready to tell me what it is. But, after what happened today, you have to talk to someone. Yes, I mean professionally, just not Doc because that would be weird for us to have the same therapist. And not Molly since she’s your best friend’s mother. Although, I bet she would recommend someone good. She found me Doc.”_

_“Blaine…”_

_“Bas, we promised that we were going to stop trying to save each other, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to let you fall down a hole you’d have to dig out of. I was there. It’s not a fun place to be. Now, since we’re not going to Paris would you like to come to LA with me and Beat?”_

_“Um, that was fast. You and Beat are going to LA? Wait, I know I was out of it, but was he dancing with your friend Mike? Oh, shit! Did he finally come out?”_

Blaine continued to play, but laughed at a memory from the next day. To say Beat had finally come out was a massive understatement.

** Flashback…Sunday Afternoon, Warblers Commons **

_“Thank god you’re here! You’re the mysterious Bud, make him stop!” Nick yelled at Blaine as he walked into the commons._

_“Make who stop what?” Like he didn’t know._

_“That would be me” Beat smiled a devilish smile acknowledging he was having fun with whatever he had been up to._

_“Evidently, the guys have been hypothesizing about my supposed boyfriend for the last two years. So, I’ve been sharing with them all about my actual boyfriend.”_

_“Hold up!” Blaine was practically giddy with Beat’s (inadvertent?) piece of information and since Nick had referred to him as Bud… “Drum, are you saying Mike is your boyfriend? Because if that’s true I should probably prepare Sam for an epic Tina Cohen-Chang meltdown.”_

_“As of last night, yes. Mike is my boyfriend and you can call Sam later and warn him. May I continue?”_

_“Go right ahead. Have you talked about his abs? I have seen him dance shirtless and I must say you are a lucky man.”_

_“Hell, yeah I am. I mean, I know we saw Sam in all his glory at the Diva-off…and I totally agree with Sebastian…”_

_“Agree with me about what?” Sebastian asked as he had come in mid-conversation._

_“I’m assuming that Drum concurs with your assessment of Sam’s lips” Blaine told him._

_“That they’re a waste on a heterosexual?”_

_“Ok, ok, point taken and we’re sorry” Jeff apologized (sort of) for all involved. “Don’t we need to get started?”_

_Blaine gave Beat a wink as a sign that he was proud of him and then agreed with Jeff “You are correct my friend, we do. Thad, will you help me get the board?”_

_Blaine’s OCD had continuously ramped up the closer they got to Regionals. Hoping that it would help calm him at least a little, Sebastian found the rolling white board for him to plot/diagram/note/strategize all of his thoughts and suggestions on. It kept Blaine focused and the rest of them from locking him in the office of their non-existent advisor until it was time to perform on Saturday. Since it was on wheels Thad wondered why Blaine asked for his help. It came to him only after Blaine said very softly, but with great authority “Don’t think for a second that I’ve forgotten about having to tell poor Brittany about Santa.”_

Blaine didn’t understand why his mind cleared in that particular moment, but it did. Maybe because he was no longer focusing on his 2% of regret. He had let his mind wander back to Sebastian and his friends, the 98% where there were no doubts about his return to Dalton or the process he referred to as _Saving Myself_.

When he got up to take another try at the Italian song, he realized something. This entire time he had been playing the melody that had been stuck in his head, which had obviously freed itself. He sat down with his tablet and an hour later he had the chorus finished, an opening stanza and bridges between the other stanzas and the chorus. He was right, this was not going to be the Italian song for his project. It was so much more. Maybe because he had been playing acoustic guitar when this came to him he heard that sound in the forefront. He made a mental note to ask Sam to bring his guitar to Breadstix tomorrow.

**Flashback…Sunday Afternoon, Warblers Commons cont.**

_“Just indulge me” Blaine practically pleaded as the rest of the guys groaned at his request. “Remember, I spent last year at McKinley where everything was last minute. I can’t go through that again.”_

_Sebastian rolled his eyes at his boyfriend which would probably cost him later “And yet the New Directions won. Fine, one last time.” He didn’t need to look at the board, none of them would. “Monday, which is normally our day off will be “Speak now or hold your peace day”. Sterling and I will cover dance issues.”_

_Nick spoke next, just like the five times before “Thad and I are covering harmonies.”_

_“I’ve got the band.” The band is what Beat called his guys who handled rhythms and instrumental voices._

_“And Blaine, you’re covering solos and other pull-outs while I meet with Sylvia to make sure logistics are set. We’ve got this.” Once again, Trent was trying to be the voice of reason as the others had been quietly plotting on how to lock Blaine in the office…that included Sebastian._

_Blaine finally walked away from the white board and slumped down into his chair. “I’m sorry everyone. It’s just we had to switch Monday and Tuesday because of me. I know how we Dalton boys love our routines.”_

_“No Anderson, you love your routines.” Jeff may have been teasing to get Blaine to relax, but they all knew it was true._

_“And B, since you’ll be out, I’m staying home to spend time with my sister and Izzy before things get really crazy later in the week. It’s the best day to do it since there is no Advisory or Lacrosse.” Neither Sebastian or Thad were playing Lacrosse this season. Most Seniors didn’t play unless they were after a scholarship, which neither of them were. They just worked out with the team to keep in shape for try-outs in the fall._

_“That does make me feel better about this. Thanks guys. I know I’ve been more of a drama queen than usual with what’s happening Tuesday…”_

_Beat gave Blaine a wink of support just like Blaine had done for him earlier “Don’t worry, Bud. We’ve got you._ ”

Tuesday was going to be hard and he knew it. All three of those involved in his attack were accepting their plea deals and being sentenced. To maintain his anonymity, the only member of his family that would be present would be his Uncle Robert. He would be there as the lawyer representing Blaine’s interests against Wyatt and Toby. Sebastian’s dad represented him against Earl.

As a family, the Andersons decided to spend the day together at Breadstix of all places. Cooper was having his soft opening that evening and they would be able to help out and keep their minds off things. They were also, including Sugar, going to see Molly for a family therapy session and Blaine was going to see Doc for a two hour individual session. He was ready to talk about Tommy.

It only seemed fitting to choose that day to talk about Tommy since Tommy was the one person that had no say in any of this. Hell, the assholes that did this to them had more say. It wasn’t right, but he’d deal with those feelings tomorrow.

There was another loss he was dealing with now.

** Flashback…Sunday Afternoon, Warblers Commons cont. **

_“So, it’s really over?” Thad asked._

_“We knew Fight Club had to end, at least our version of it” Blaine reminded him. “There’s too much for Dalton to lose with the trial of our illustrious former Head Master and his psychopathic nephew only a couple of months away. We just need to make sure people stay quiet.”_

_“And you’re sure David’s money’s hidden?”_

_“Yes, very sure. I called two cooperate financial investigators and an IRS agent from the Warbler network, then a guy my uncle recommended whose specialty is finding money men are hiding from their wives. None of them found it.”_

_Nick stood up and began to pace a bit “I’m more worried about the keeping people quiet part. What happened with Dave Karofsky worked for a while, but what about when people get the idea that since there’s no more fight club it’s ok to talk? And how are we going to control everyone those two idiots talked to?”_

_“Nick, since you’re up, why don’t you go make sure the door is locked?” Blaine asked and then noticed all eyes were on him. “Trust me.”_

_Sebastian had begun to nod off, but his attention was back “B, what’s going on?”_

_“When it comes to the guys that attacked me there are plea deals that will be submitted in court and then there are parts that won’t. We call them the Motta Clauses.” No one interrupted but nodded that they understood. “One of Wyatt and Toby’s clauses is that they submit a list of names of people they remember telling about fight club. A lot of them go to college at Ohio State. Uncle Robert turned over his “Private Security and Investigation” business to Cooper…”_

_“As in your brother Cooper?” Beat asked in disbelief._

_“I know. Anyway, he hired Puck and Finn, hear me out, to keep ears and eyes on these people as news gets out the Dalton Fight Club has disbanded. A few weeks ago, the two of them crashed a frat party at OSU Lima. Something happened with the music and they somehow got ahold of a guitar and drums and are now an in-demand frat party band. They’ll be around these people while their drunk, which is most likely when they would say something.”_

_“Guys, that actually makes sense” Trent said giving his opinion. “What about the people not covered in clause?”_

_“First, we let it be known that Wyatt and Toby talked about the Dalton Fight Club and are now in jail. They’re not part of the confidentiality agreement. Then, if everyone agrees, we could turn the Registration Forms over to Cooper and probably Dmitri. They will no longer be our responsibility. Don’t say anything, just think about it. We’re not letting the news out until after Regionals.”_

_Nick sat down and looked like he had calmed down, almost “What about Dalton Boys? We all know that we are going to have to be the ones that handle them.”_

_Thad pointed over at Nick “I agree. I don’t have a problem letting Cooper handle the others be we have to handle Dalton. It would be best if we had some sort of idea…”_

_“Or, we can let it out that we gave consequences to someone they would never expect. Also, that consequences will still be imposed and they will be harsher than before.”_

_“B, that’s great but there’s no one to go after right now” Sebastian reminded him._

_“Yes, there is.”_

_“Who?”_

_“Me.”_

Blaine had just picked up his tablet again when his phone went off and a picture of Santana appeared on his screen. “Hey, Tana. What’s going on?”

“Where are you?”

“In one of the music practice rooms at Dalton. Where are you? Did you stay?”

“Yes, just like your wonderful Godmother told me to. Don’t worry, the plane didn’t turn into a pumpkin. They all flew back yesterday.”

“I know. Nichole called to thank me once again and David left me 8 texts about his date with Mercedes last night. He took her to the top of the Empire State Building since for some reason _An Affair to Remember_ is one of her favorite movies.”

“Those two are almost as bad as you and Seb. That’s why I’m calling. Is he ok?”

“He has some family issues but he’s working on them.”

“Is he going to Cooper’s soft opening? I really need to talk to the two of you.”

“Sorry, just me. Is there a problem?”

“No, I’ll tell you tomorrow. Blainers, I have to ask, did you tell him what happened when Kurt sang at the reception?”

“Oh, yeah.”

**Flashback…Sunday Afternoon, Warblers Commons cont.**

_“What!”_

_Sebastian stood and motioned toward the door “If you’ll excuse us, I think my boyfriend and I have a few things to discuss.”_

_“Guys, you don’t have to leave. Let me explain…” Blaine didn’t have a chance to finish before he and Sebastian were the only two left in the room. “That was totally unnecessary.”_

_“What’s totally unnecessary is for you to suffer some consequence when you’ve already gone through hell. The guys agreed to telling Sam and Puck, and you told Santana because you had to explain what happened to Karofsky.”_

_“Are you done? I wasn’t going to say that I should face new consequences. I was going to say that we could tell people that my exile to McKinley WAS my consequence. Leaving for Kurt was the cover story. Hell, we could say Kurt was part of the consequence. Think about it. If the Rules Council gave a consequence that huge to Wolverine, what would they do to some random idiot that chose to run his mouth?”_

_“Oh” Sebastian didn’t want to admit he overreacted, but…“That’s actually a really good idea. Sorry.”_

_Blaine took a deep breath and moved to sit next to Sebastian “I need to tell you about something that happened at the reception and I’m pretty sure you’re not going to like it.”_

_That could only mean one thing “What did Hummel do now?”_

_“He sang Being Alive from Company. It was beautiful.”_

_Sebastian told himself to settle down. After what just happened, it was probably a good idea to hear the entire story. “And?”_

_“I sort of, not ran, but walked quickly out of the room when he was done. I needed a moment alone, but he followed me to the restroom. Evidently it freaked our friends out, especially Sam and Santana.”_

_Less settled, but still holding it together “And?”_

_“He told me that he knew I was still in love with him. I told him no, but I did miss the Kurt I saw on stage. The Kurt I first knew, not the person in front of me. I made it clear that I am in love with you. Totally and completely in love with you. Then Wes and David showed up. David took me back to the ballroom and Wes stayed to talk to Kurt.”_

_“Which Wes did he get? Logical, calm Wes or Scary, intimidating Wes?”_

_“I don’t know because my sexy boyfriend showed up and told me he wanted to dance.”_

_Sebastian smiled and then took a deep breath similar to the one Blaine had taken only a few moments earlier “I’m adopted and I’m not dealing with it well.”_

_“I know and I’ll help if you let me.”_

_“Soon, B. I promise.”_

He was packing to leave when his phone went off again. This time it was a number he didn’t recognize.

“Hello…Yes, this Blaine…Oh, Mr. Barnes…Ok, Ted…Seriously?...Um, yes I can change one to an original” Blaine pulled out his tablet and opened his email “Yes, I got it…I’d actually like to talk to my parents first…I’m sorry, but I won’t be here tomorrow. I have several family obligations…Thursday would be perfect…11:30 with Miss Meyer. I take it you have her number?...Of course, we can video conference…I’m looking forward to it too. Thank you so much for the opportunity…Goodbye.”

Blaine didn’t know how long he sat staring at his phone after the call ended. What could he say? Oh yeah, there was one thing.

“Jeff was right. I really am the Alphiest Alpha Gay ever.”


	33. Two Tales of One Tuesday: Sebastian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian didn’t lie to Blaine about spending time with Sierra and Izzy, he just had to run an errand first. Later, he finally opens up to someone. While that person can’t do anything for him, someone else just might.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Domestic violence resulting in death, depression and opiate addiction are discussed 
> 
> Reminder: Blaine’s Uncle Robert is Al Motta professionally.

**10 AM**

Sebastian hurried through the metal detector, trying not to be seen. The last thing he wanted was for his father to know he was at the courthouse. He found where he needed to go on the directory and then went to take the stairs. The elevator was too risky. Once he got to the 3rd floor, he found room 305 and waited around the corner as advised. That’s when his whole plan to go unnoticed flew out the window. “What are you doing here and why aren’t you with your brother?”

“Why, hello to you too.” Trent responded. “I’m here to see what kind of people would literally throw away a kid as amazing as Doug for the trash being sentenced today. And since Mom was going to Lima to spend the day with the Andersons anyway, she took Doug with her. He’s still having problems coming to terms with his role in what happened to Blaine.”

“He had nothing to do with what those assholes did.”

“And maybe someday he’ll believe that. However, he is excited to work with Cooper’s guys to set up the webcast for tonight. What’s Blaine up to?”

“No clue, although Cooper said he was proud of Blaine for hi-jacking his soft opening. Said it was a very Old Cooper thing to do.” Sebastian could tell by the way Trent was looking at him that he wanted more “I honestly don’t know. Before you ask, I didn’t go because I really am spending time with Sierra and Izzy when I’m done here. The practice schedule for the next three days is insane. Although, I am looking forward to Friday.”

“Let me guess…my mother’s cookies?”

“Duh!”

Trent was preparing a comeback when they both received a text from Jeff. Sebastian started to laugh, but Trent was confused “Why would Thad be upset and complaining that Blaine didn’t take him to see Santa last night? It’s February.”

“That’s right, you missed…” Sebastian stopped when the person he was waiting for arrived “Thank you again for doing this. I know you need to get to the sentencing.”

“Sebastian, are you sure you don’t want to wait for me? It will only be you and him in the room.”

“I’m sure, Al.” Sebastian remembered to refer to Blaine’s uncle by his first name and not Robert, something Blaine constantly forgot to do in public.

Mr. Motta turned his attention to the other Warbler “Go home Trent. Nothing you say to the Staffords will do any good.”

“But…”

“Go home Trent.” This time, it was not a request.

“Fine, but only if Seb comes with me.”

“I’m not here for Blaine’s case” Sebastian assured him. “And before you ask, I’m not going to tell you anything else. To use one of B’s favorite terms, you’ll need plausible deniability.”

Three hours later, Sebastian was stretched out on his couch, bouncing Izzy on his lap. His mother and sister had gone to the grocery store. They had decided to make all his French favorites for dinner, and while he wasn’t going to complain, he was pretty sure there was something going on besides a change in menu.

“So, Izzy-wizzy, what do you want to do until Grand-père gets here? Why are we waiting for Grand-père? He’s going to tell Uncle Sebby about what happened to the bad people, or what Blaine said he could tell Uncle Sebby about what happened to the bad people. Do you remember Blaine? Of course, you do. No one ever forgets Blaine. Why, you ask? Because he’s handsome and charming and talented and brave and lots of other words that your precious little ears shouldn’t hear.”

“Speaking of your precious little ears, I’m sorry I scared you. I guess I’m a lot like you because I yell when I’m unhappy too. Izzy, Grand-mère wants me to do something that I don’t want to do. If I don’t, I’m afraid Grand-mère will be really sad and she just got home from being really sad at the clinic in Paris. If I do what she wants, I’ll be really sad because I won’t get to see Blaine anymore.”

As if on instinct, Izzy reached out toward Sebastian’s face. It was a game they would play. She would reach out, he would pretend to eat her fingers and they would laugh. He had no idea what he was going to do when she went back to Paris.

“Look at these long fingers. I bet when you get older you will play the piano. Did you know that Uncle Sebby can play piano? I’m not as good as Blaine, but I am much better than your mommy. You can tell her that. Don’t believe me? Come on, I’ll prove it.” He got up off the couch, strapped her into her bouncy seat and then sat her on top of the piano in front of him. After a rousing rendition of _Chopsticks_ , Sebastian delighted his niece by adding vocals to _Three Blind_ _Mice_ and _Frère Jacques_. “You like it when Uncle Sebby sings when he plays, don’t you? Let’s try a big people song.”

Sebastian had no idea why this was the song that came to mind, but maybe he should have.

 _Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry_  
_You don't know how lovely you are_  
_I had to find you, tell you I need you_  
_Tell you I set you apart_

 _Tell me your secrets, and ask me your questions_  
_Oh let's go back to the start_

Where would we go back to? Uptown Girl? That was our true beginning…or was it?

 _Nobody said it was easy_  
_It’s such a shame for us to part_  
_Nobody said it was easy_  
_No one ever said it would be this hard_

_Oh, take me back to the start_

Maybe we didn’t truly start until the night of the fight…the night of Wolverine. That was when Bad Ass Blaine showed up and five days later brought Blaine Warbler back to Dalton. Everything before that had been flirting, innuendos and pain. After that we were friends. Ok, friends with benefits, but friends first.

 _But tell me you love me, come back and haunt me_  
_Oh and I rush to the start_  
_Running in circles, chasing our tails_  
_Coming back as we are_

 _Nobody said it was easy_  
_It’s such a shame for us to part_

Maybe our start was actually Thanksgiving weekend when we both admitted I’m in and Blaine sang You+Me. Those memories are so important to us that we wear reminders around our wrists.

_I’m going back to the start_

When we made love for the first time, next to the Christmas tree and surrounded by candles? Was that our start?

 _Nobody said it was easy_  
_No, no, no, no_

Or was our start only last week? The day I woke up in Blaine’s bed and everything was so domestic (Blaine’s word)/comfortable (my word). I had a glimpse of what a future with Blaine could look like and it didn’t scare me. I’m not going to propose or anything stupid like that. It was just a nice snapshot to have in my head. Although, right now it’s breaking me to think that snapshot could be all I’ll ever have with him.

 _Nobody said it was easy_  
_No, no, no, no_

_Nobody said it was easy_

Whether it was his voice or the combination of bouncy seat and piano vibrations, Izzy had fallen asleep. “Je ne sais pas quoi faire ma nièce bébé doux.”

“I know what you need to do. Stop trying to get advice from a four-month old and talk to your boyfriend. If you still can’t bring yourself to talk to Blaine, then talk to me. I am supposed to be your best friend. And Coldplay, Seb? Seriously?”

Sebastian looked over to the other side of the room and shook his head “Don’t read into it, Trent. It was just a song to help put Izzy to sleep.”

“Did you know I spent some time with Mercedes this weekend? I ask that so you will understand when I tell you _Oh,_ _Hell to the No_. How do I know this? How about the fact that at several points you weren’t singing the lyrics? Yeah, that’s right, you were singing what was probably supposed to be an internal monologue. And for the record, when Blaine got back to Dalton you were friends with a lot of benefits. Remember, I caught the two of you with Blaine’s hand down your pants. Never guessed you were such a screamer.”

“Ok, I get it… _Sassy Warbler_. Dad?” Neither of them noticed Sebastian’s father had come into the room carrying a gallon of chocolate milk and two glasses. He really, really, really hoped his dad hadn’t heard Trent’s comment about the screaming. “What’s going on?”

“First, the sentencing went as expected. There were no surprises, so Stafford didn’t admit that he lied when he said he was gay. However, he did say a couple of things in his allocution that left no doubt that he did.”

Sebastian was prepared to go on a rant but the sight of a sleeping baby ended that “Fine. I understand why Blaine accepted the deal, but that doesn’t mean I like it.”

“If it helps, it seemed like there was something more going on between Al Motta and the other two defendants.” Xavier took one look at his son and knew his instincts had been right “What don’t I know?”

“Plausible deniability, Dad. Plausible deniability.”

“Son, you may say that you’re undecided on a major, but you are most definitely going to wind up in Law School. Now, take these.” He handed the chocolate milk and glasses to Sebastian and then picked up Izzy. “Talk to him, Sebastian.” He began to leave but not before turning to Trent and saying “You’ve got one hour.”

Once his father and niece were out of the room, Sebastian looked at Trent who was getting settled on the couch “What the hell is going on, Nixon?”

“You are going to come sit by me, drink your milk and tell me what happened on Valentine’s Day.”

“And what makes you think I’m going to do that?” Sebastian asked then watched as Trent pulled a plastic container out of a bag he hadn’t noticed, and set it down on the coffee table. “Are those..?”

“My mother’s cookies? Yes, they are. You see, when I called my mom to ask how I could get you to talk, all she said was _Even Superman has his Kryptonite._ Fortunately, when she knows she’s going to have to bake a big batch, she makes the dough ahead of time and freezes it.”

“You’re not playing fair.”

“No, what’s not fair is you’re about to eat 10 of those and will look like you and I’ll eat 4 and my cheeks will go up 5 points on the pinchable scale. Now talk.”

“Fine” Sebastian came over and poured the milk, all the while wondering what the connection between Trent and his father was. After he had drank his milk and had 2 of the promised 10 cookies, he let it all out “I’m adopted.”

“Really?” Trent asked him “Because you look a lot like your dad.”

“We’re related. Xavier and Juliette Smythe’s first child was a son…Julien. He’s my biological father.”

“And you found this out…”

“Hummel. Indirectly, but Hummel.” Sebastian proceeded to tell him about Kurt refusing to believe he had a sister and the disastrous dinner when Kurt had said his mother was 17 when she had him. “All you have to do is take one look at my mom and know there’s no way she could have been only 17 when she had me, let alone my sister considering Sierra is 12 years older than I am. I think for a while Hummel thought Sierra was my mother. I’ll give the guy he had googling me some credit for being close considering all the documents were in French. I looked into it when I went for Christmas.”

“That son-of-a-bitch! Does Blaine know any of this?”

“He knows I’m adopted. I don’t know if he figured it out on his own or if Hummel told him when he blackmailed him.”

“Ok, we are going to table the rest of that story for when we have a bottle of tequila. What does any of this have to do with you thinking you have to break up with Blaine. That’s the real problem, isn’t it? I had an idea but Coldplay, who I like for the record, sealed the deal.”

“Long story short since this is definitely one for tequila as well, Julien and my biological mother were drug addicts but she left him and got clean when she found out about me. Hummel did get one thing right in that she was 16 at the time. Anyway, Julien found her when she was seven months pregnant and decided he didn’t want to be a dad. He was beating the shit out of her when the cops arrived and she died at the hospital, but not before I was born obviously. She died protecting me.”

They sat still for a few minutes. There was no good response to what Sebastian had said. Finally, Sebastian gave Trent a nod as a sign he could continue the conversation.

“Seb, Blaine’s not going to judge you with this. There’s no reason to break up…”

“It’s not that. Hard to believe that’s not the most fucked up part of the story. My biological mother’s family wouldn’t take me, but it didn’t matter because my parents were ready to fight for custody. Julien went to jail, but not for murder. He was charged with a Crime of Passion which in the US is the equivalent of Manslaughter. He wasn’t supposed to be released until I was an adult, 21. But somehow someone got it screwed up and read it as 18.”

“So, he’s out.”

“Yes, and my family wasn’t told so it was a shock when he went to see Sierra. He told her he’s ready to be a father to me. Can you believe that shit? He tried to fucking kill me!”

Trent knew Sebastian would need to calm down from his last revelation. He waited while the last of the cookies and milk were polished off. When he felt Sebastian was ready, he asked “So, you’re protecting Blaine from him?”

“No, my mom. Trent, my mom has always been an amazing mother to me, but this fucked her up. She’s battled depression my whole life. Three years ago, she was in a really bad car crash that screwed up her back. She got addicted to Vicodin and between that and her depression she had a breakdown.”

“Seb, I’m so sorry.”

“My dad quietly got her into a clinic outside of Paris so Sierra could keep an eye on things while he resigned as State’s Attorney. He didn’t want her condition to become public knowledge, which it would have been if the media found out.”

“People do love a political scandal even if it’s really just a family matter.”

“Exactly. My mom had been better for a while now, but Julien contacting Sierra set her off again. Valentine’s Day she told me she didn’t want me to go to Columbia. She said it would be the first place he would look for me since it’s my dad’s alma mater. She wants me to go to Stanford, other side of the country and all. I told her no, yelled a lot, she started crying, screamed a lot, I locked myself in my room, called you to pick me up and left without telling anyone. I also smashed my phone so I didn’t have to talk to them.”

“When I asked him, Blaine did say that he thought your story about accidently stepping on your phone was a bunch of bull shit.”

“He knows me well. When Blaine brought me back Sunday, he only stayed long enough to meet Izzy. No one has said anything about what happened Saturday and now we’re in an awkward standoff. I thought my mom and I were going to talk about things today, but when I got here she and Sierra left me with Izzy.”

“Do you know what you’re going to say?”

“What can I say? I have a choice...either I give my mother another nervous breakdown or break up with Blaine. We need more chocolate milk.” Sebastian stood up to go to the kitchen and was surprised to see his dad standing there holding Izzy “What’s going on?”

Xavier didn’t answer him, but instead spoke to Trent “Did he tell you anything you didn’t know?”

“Nope, except Hummel’s blackmail seems a little more extensive than we thought.” Trent stood up and stretched “I take it since Izzy’s ready to go, my idea worked?”

“Yes, just like you thought. He was more than happy to help. I went ahead and put her car seat in your car.”

“Stop!” Sebastian walked away from where he had been sitting to calm down “One of you needs to start explaining what the hell is going on. You’re freaking me out.”

Sebastian’s dad handed the baby to Trent and then went and put his hands on his son’s shoulders “Sebastian, you have amazing friends. You should know that by now. Trent contacted me, wanting to understand what was going on with you.”

“That’s the real reason I was at the courthouse” Trent told him.

“Which means I know you were there and we will discuss that, but back to the topic at hand. Once Trent and I talked, and filled in some blanks each of us had, he had a suggestion of how to solve our family dilemma. That’s really where your mother and sister have been all of this time.”

**Flashback…2 Hours Earlier at the diner between Westerville and Lima**

_“I can see Seb liking this place” Sierra told her mother as they sat down in their booth. “Did you see that stack of pancakes the waitress was carrying?”_

_“Your brother does love his breakfasts. So, was that enough small talk for you to tell me why we are at this greasy-spoon diner in the middle of nowhere?”_

_“Your waiting for me, Mrs. Smythe. And you must be Sierra?”_

_“Yes, and you must be Blaine’s brother, Cooper. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”_

Sebastian stared at his father as he tried to think of any stretch of the imagination where Cooper Anderson was the solution to all of this “I don’t understand.”

“That’s why you three are going to Lima to meet up with your mother, sister and Cooper. You also might want to find out whatever it is your boyfriend is up to.”

“We three are going to Lima?”

“You, me and Izzy” Trent told him “And we probably want to get going. Lima’s not just right around the corner.”

“What about you, Dad?”

“I have opening arguments in that embezzlement case in the morning. There’s a lot of work I still left to do, but I will watch the webcast. Now, why were you at the courthouse this morning?”

Oh, this wasn’t going to be good “I was pissed, Dad. I couldn’t yell at Mom again and Julien was out of the question. So, I took action against the one person in this mess that I could.”

**Earlier that morning at the courthouse**

_“So, I tell my lawyer about Hummel and you’re not going to testify against me?”_

_“No, I will answer any questions I am asked honestly and to the best of my ability. I will not however, offer any information that does not tie directly back to Dalton. We both know I have a lot more shit on you than just what they’re after.”_

_“Can’t deny that. Anything else?”_

_“You can’t just tell your lawyer about Kurt’s involvement. You have to make a full statement and provide some sort of evidence. If you accept my offer, you’ll need to hurry. I give my deposition next Wednesday.”_

_“This isn’t just about the Golden Boy or the crap he had my uncle give you, is it?”_

_“No, this is about consequences for trying to mess with my family.”_

_“Damn Smythe, I’m impressed. Maybe on some other Earth we could have been friends.”_

_“I don’t know, Clarington. Maybe we could have.”_

He waited for his dad to say something, but when he didn’t, Sebastian decided he should “Are you mad?”

Xavier took his hands off Sebastian’s shoulders and pulled him into an embrace “You’re going to be a brilliant lawyer.”

Twenty minutes later, they were on their way to Lima. Sebastian couldn’t get over what Trent had done for him. “I’m never going to be able to thank you for all of this, you know.”

“Before you say that, you should probably wait until you talk with your mom. But, if you truly want to do something for me then please explain why Thad is still bitching about not seeing Santa.”

“Oh, my friend, I have two words for you…Gap Attack.”

TBC in Lima

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Scientist: Christopher Martin, Guy Berryman, Jonathan Buckland, William Champion 2002
> 
> Je ne sais pas quoi faire ma nièce bébé doux: I don't know what to do my sweet baby niece (Google Translator)


	34. Two Tales of One Tuesday: (Se)Blaine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian is determined to find out two things…what his father and Trent are talking about and what is going on with Blaine. Fortunately, he’s about to get the answers to both.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Homophobic slur used

Even though they had to keep their voices down (Izzy had fallen back to sleep rather quickly), Sebastian and Trent had a good time on the drive to Lima. They gossiped about everything and everyone at Dalton and then shared their most embarrassing moments. Sebastian admitted that he had had a celebrity crush on the guy who played the Flash, until he realized that basically meant he had a crush on himself. Trent admitted that he had been in love with the same girl since he was five, but was firmly stuck in the friend zone. Before Sebastian could have him explain why that was embarrassing, they reached their destination. However, it wasn’t the destination Sebastian expected.

“Why are we at the Motta’s?”

“You need to talk to your mom. We’ve discussed this.”

“My mom is here?”

“Just get Izzy.”

When the front door opened, Sebastian’s confusion only heightened when he saw Blaine’s father standing there “Mr. A? What are you doing here?”

“We’re here to help your mom” Charles Anderson said as he showed them in.

“We?”

Charles laughed and gave him a pat on the back, while taking Izzy from him “Your mom is in Robert’s office and yes, _we_ will be here when you’re ready.”

Sebastian was on autopilot until he opened the door to Blaine’s uncle’s office and indeed, his mother sitting there “Come here my Darling Boy” she said as she patted the couch cushion next to her. He did what she asked and when he was seated, she took his hands in hers “I’m so sorry.”

“Me too, I shouldn’t have run off like that.”

“You are right. You shouldn’t have, but that is not what I was referring to. I’m sorry that I wasn’t paying attention. I didn’t notice that my Darling Boy had become an amazing young man.”

“Mom…”

“Hear me out, Sebastian. The moment you were put into my arms, I told myself that I had three jobs. They were to love you unconditionally, to give you the life you deserved and to keep you safe. When Sierra told me Julien was looking for you, I panicked. The thought of him seeing you scared me to my core. I am not saying that fear is gone, but it was not fair for me to say you had to sacrifice your happiness for my piece of mind. I have something to ask and I want an honest answer. When you were narrowing your choices of universities, was your decision of Columbia based on Blaine’s desire to go to Julliard? You were adamant about applying to Stanford.”

“I only wanted to apply to Stanford as my _So I never have to see Blaine again_ school after what I did to him. I was sure he was going to go to NYADA with his ex and I thought the best thing for him would be for me to be on the other side of the country. Sam let it slip that Julliard was Blaine’s school of choice when we were at the hospital waiting for B to wake up. Mom, choosing Columbia was me not letting Blaine influence my decision. I’ve wanted to go there since I was old enough to know what college was.”

“Ok, then.” Juliette stood, and since she still held her son’s hands, he rose with her “Let’s go join the others.”

“Others?” Sebastian still didn’t know what she was talking about but followed her until he found himself in the Motta’s living area, and yes, there were others. Not only was Blaine’s dad in the room, but also Blaine’s mother, Cooper, Robert and Trent. There were two other guys, but neither was the one he expected “Where’s Blaine and who are you two?”

Cooper laughed as he had never seen Sebastian this off-center before “Blaine kicked everyone but Sam and the cooks out of Breadstix for an hour and no, none of us know what’s going on. And that’s Cameron, or Cam, and Daniel, never Dan. It would be best if you let us explain what’s going on before we formally introduce you.”

“Formally?”

“Seb, hear me out first.” Sebastian sat down next to his mom to listen to what Trent had to say. “After I got back to Westerville on Valentine’s Day, I dropped Doug off and then went to talk to your dad. After that car ride we had, I was really concerned. When he told me about your mom and Stanford, I asked why they just hadn’t asked Robert to get you a body guard.”

“I don’t need a body guard.”

“Sebastian, until a few days ago you had a bodyguard, you just didn’t know it. Because we had no idea at the time why Blaine reacted the way he did to seeing Stafford’s picture, and the fact that he had threatened to kill Doug, I assigned guys to watch everyone associated with Blaine or Doug that night” Robert told him. “As things calmed down, we gradually took them away. Daniel’s been with you for weeks.”

That was surprising. Sebastian knew he had seen him around, but had not put things together. “And you? Cam, right?”

“I’ve been with Blaine since his attack three years ago.”

“Does he know about you?”

“Who do you think taught him to box?” Cam gave him a smile, indicating he knew boxing was the cover for what really went on.

Sebastian turned to his mom “So, you’re saying that you have no problem with my going to Columbia if I have a bodyguard?”

“No, I’m saying I will still be nervous but I am willing to give this a try. Are you?”

“Are you kidding? Fuck yeah, I’m willing to give this a try!” Sebastian hugged his mother and then realized… “Oh, Mrs. A, sorry about the F-bomb.”

Pam Anderson tried not to laugh. While she really did not like that word, it amused her to watch Blaine’s friends trip over themselves when they realized what they had said “It’s ok, Sebastian. I understand…this time. Now, I have a favor to ask. Don’t tell Blaine until after Regionals. He had a really rough morning while the sentencing was taking place. It took a lot for us to agree to leave.”

Her husband added “You will need to tell him something because your demeanor has drastically changed in the last five minutes.” That did get a laugh out of everyone because they had all noticed the same thing. “Just say it’s a family thing and you’ll tell him the whole story when you can, which is the truth. Speaking of Blaine, our hour is up. Trent, can you go tell everyone in the other room that we’re ready to go?” Then Charles looked over at his eldest son “Plus, I’m pretty sure Cooper is about ready to burst being out of the restaurant with 50 people showing up in 3 hours.”

“You know me well, Dad. Although, it’s now 60 people. Blaine added some pretty interesting names to the guest list, and I even added one of my own.”

Back at Breadsticks, Blaine had excused himself to take a call from Beat “Bull shit! The reason you’re not here is because you’re afraid of Tina.”

“Can you blame me? After what Sam said happened when he told her that Mike was my boyfriend? I at least owe him dinner one night when we’re all in LA. Or maybe a new guitar? Oh, I know Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. Maybe he’d like to meet them?”

“Drum, relax, Sam volunteered to tell her...but hell yeah to the Tim and Faith thing.”

“Maybe I’d be more relaxed if I hadn’t just spent the last hour begging my mother not to be her overdramatic self when she meets Mike. And speaking of my mother, she said she had no problem getting you studio time while we’re there but you know what that means. She wants to see the webcast. Have you told anyone what this is all about besides me and Sam?”

“Sugar. She was so upset after family therapy, I had to tell her. At least she only has to keep this secret for a few more hours. And I have no problem with your mom watching the webcast. Maybe my announcement will make her realize that I’m serious about this.”

“Yeah, good luck with that. Bud, I know you need to get back to Sam but did you talk with Dr. Shepard about Tommy like you planned?”

“Yes. Yes, I did.”

**Earlier that morning…Motta House, Uncle Robert’s Office**

_“I’m sorry, Blaine. I wish I had some words of wisdom for you but I don’t.” Dr. Shepard had never felt like this with a patient before. He wasn’t able to think of a word to describe the feeling…inadequate was the only one that seemed close._

_“If it helps, I do feel better. I didn’t know if this was the right time to talk about Tommy with everything I have going on, but I had to make him part of this day.”_

_“How many people know all of this?”_

_“My parents, my Uncle Robert, Wes, Beat and Sebastian’s dad are the only one’s that know the whole story...and you.”_

_“There’s three, four, maybe five big names missing from that list.”_

_“Cooper?” Dr. Shepard nodded. That was the missing name that surprised him the most. “Doc, remember this all happened when Coop and I basically had no relationship. He came, but wasn’t there if you know what I mean. Cooper 2.0, the one that’s here now, he may know but if he does he hasn’t said anything.”_

_“And the others?”_

_“Bas and Sam know there is a Tommy, but don’t know the story. So does David, who I’m sure is not one of the people you thought of. Sugar actually knew Tommy and knows he was the other victim, but not what happened to him. She couldn’t handle it. I don’t know who the fifth person would be.”_

_“Santana.”_

_“We’re not there. I don’t know if we’ll ever be. I wouldn’t have told anyone, but Beat found out because he was my roommate when I first got to Dalton. About a month after I got there, the nightmares came back and they were almost always about Tommy. He didn’t say a word, just pushed our beds together and held me. After a while we didn’t even pretend and pushed them together before lights out. That first night he told me he was gay and hadn’t come out. Just so you know, it was never a thing…the fact that we were both gay. We are definitely not each other’s type. I don’t know why I had to say that, especially to you. Guess we have something new to discuss at my next session.”_

_“But there was more to this, wasn’t there?”_

_“Sharing those secrets was comforting and it helped me learn to trust again. Once I was able to do that, Beat convinced me to tell Wes. Bringing him in was the smartest thing I ever did.”_

_“Beat sounds like a very important person in your life. Why am I just now hearing about him?”_

_“We had a rough patch after Slushie-gate. Then my depression made things worse because I stopped talking to him altogether. I was too ashamed of what I had let myself become. Besides Bas, restoring my friendship with Beat has been the best thing about being back at Dalton.”_

_“How do you feel about him keeping your secret about Tommy when you no longer have to keep his secret?”_

_“Oh, but I am keeping a secret. I know his real name.”_

“Seriously, Blaine. Are you going to be ok tonight? Do you want me to go ahead and push the beds together or do you want me to..." He cleared his throat and then sang _"make a fort out of sheets_?”

“Smart ass” and Blaine wouldn’t have it any other way.

When his call finished, Blaine walked back over to Sam and it was obvious something was wrong. Sam was practicing the number, but his eyes were closed and he was lost in the music. Not wanting to startle him, Blaine waited until the last cord was played and said “Start talking.”

“What are you..?” The look on Blaine’s face let Sam know that he shouldn’t even bother to deny it “Narissa and I broke up, I guess.”

“You guess?”

“We were never officially together. There was always a problem seeing each other.”

“I’m sorry, Sam. You guys seemed so happy last weekend.”

“We were, that’s why this is sad.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? The song we’re doing has to be the most inappropriate song ever for someone that just broke up with his not really girlfriend. I mean…”

“Blaine, I was going to tell you tomorrow. You had a lot going on earlier.”

“Yeah, all the justice money could buy.”

In his desire to get his case settled quickly, Blaine had never considered how bitter he would feel about the process. He had found his attackers, not the police. Uncle Robert offered Wyatt and Toby plea deals (technically, _Motta deals_ ) to roll over on Earl, not the District Attorney. Sebastian’s dad even had to be the one to work out Earl’s deal with his lawyer. All the courts had done was believe Earl’s lie about being gay. Then, to watch all of those _public officials_ bend over backwards when they realized he wasn’t some random fag from some random family, it made him sick. But like he had told Sugar earlier, he wasn’t going to let those assholes win. There was too much good going on in his life. He would leave it to Burt to deal with the system.

Well, Burt and the fact that he (not his parents, although they might be considering the same thing) was going to fund the campaign of anyone that ran against those _public officials_ in the next election.

Oh yeah, he had been talking with Sam. “You still should have told me. Wait, does Wes know?”

“Yes, and he appreciated me manning-up.”

“What did Nari say to him?”

“Fuck off.”

“That sounds like her. Just know, I’m here if you need to talk…after Regionals on Saturday. Now, let’s get things straightened up. My family should be back soon.”

Sam put his guitar on the stand before he started helping Blaine place name cards on the tables “You invited the Schusters?”

“Actually, Coop did. He remembered what Emma said at the Diva-Off about sending a dish back. He thought she would have no problems giving an honest opinion. The same goes for Sue.”

“Uh, doesn’t Sue have like a massive crush on Cooper?”

“Yes, but I’m pretty sure her being a total bitch will win out.”

“Who are you calling a bitch?” Santana asked as she walked up behind them. “Is everyone still kicked out because I need to talk to you guys before things get crazy? I really wish Seb was here too.”

“Why’s that Satan?” Sebastian asked as he walked in, holding Izzy in his arms.

Blaine smiled and went to greet them. “You’re here” he said as he took the baby from Sebastian. “I didn’t know you were coming Isabella, but I am very happy to see you.” He sat down and removed her coat “Your dress is very pretty.”

“That’s because my sister, her mother, is a designer for Dior. You know, I thought you might be happy to see me.”

“I am very happy to see you” Blaine said before giving him a kiss and handing back his niece “But what are you doing here?”

“I came down with Trent. He went with his mom and Doug to the Lima Bean. They’ll be here in a little while.” Sebastian bent down and gave Blaine a kiss on the cheek, but not before whispering in his ear “It’s all good, I promise. In fact, things are better than they’ve been in a while. I’ll explain later. Today is about you.”

That was all Blaine needed to hear so he looked over at Santana and asked “Why did you need to see us so badly?”

“Ok, I really need you three to sit there and let me explain. This is extremely important. Like my future could literally change because of this and I need your guy’s help.”

“Of course. Tana, is this that thing that Bibbi told you to stay and Lima for? The thing she liked so much?”

“Yes, and before you guys commit to something you’ll regret, let me make it clear that I will understand if you say no because I have already overstepped the bounds of friendship.”

“We’re friends?” Sam asked, lightening the mood.

“Haha.” Santana took a deep breath. She really had overstepped with this. “When Blaine got me in at Vogue he had arranged an advertising internship. I made a couple of suggestions that my bosses liked and the next thing I know I’m in Blaine’s Godmother’s office.”

Blaine stopped her for a moment and turned to Sam “Did I tell you who Bibbi is?”

“Yes, but I didn’t get it until my Mom made me watch _The Devil Wears Prada_. I still don’t get the Bibbi part though.”

“Four year-old me…Disney obsession…Godmother that works with big, fancy dresses… _Bibbi_ -ty, Boppity, Boo?”

“Ooooh” the other three said in unison, feeling foolish that they had never figured it out on their own.

Santana saw that staff had begun to arrive meaning she didn’t have a lot of time “What wound up happening was I was moved to Teen Vogue and assigned a job like the one Hummel had at Vogue.com. Sorry for bringing him up.” Blaine waved it off. “My first day I sat in on a pitch meeting. They were looking for a twist on a Day to Evening outfit spread. No one had anything but when I saw Sam at the Diva-Off an idea came to me.”

She pulled out a file and laid out three pictures of Sam…one with his everyday All-American look, one with him on Harley and one from the Diva-Off. “I sent these pictures to the editor and suggested that instead of Day to Evening they change it to Boyfriend to Boyfriend, but have the same guy in different scenarios. He not only liked the idea, he loved Sam’s look. Sam, he wants you for this. Evidently trouty mouths are in.”

Blaine and Sebastian smiled at Sam’s deer in the headlights expression “Sammy, this is perfect for you” Blaine tried to reassure him.

Sebastian picked up the pictures to take a closer look “Santana, this was a really good idea. I can see why the editor liked it so much.”

“I’m glad you said that” Santana pulled out a file labeled Sebastian and laid the photos in front of him. “ _She_ also liked the idea and loved Sam but wanted to see more options.” Then she pulled out a file marked Blaine “I sent this one to my editor but told him not to send it up until I was back and could explain.”

“You didn’t want my participation to influence a decision.”

“Right. Usually something like this would be handled by the editor, but since it’s outside of the box and proposed by an intern, he wants her to greenlight the project.”

All Blaine and Sebastian had to do was look at each other to know they were going to do it. It was an amazing opportunity for Sam, who had been worried about his future after high school. Also, Santana had been right in that something like this could lead to more than just an internship. “We’re in” Sebastian told Santana.

Blaine jumped in to clarify “But this is a one time thing for me and Bas. We’re doing this for you and Sam. Both of us will be in New York in three weeks for college visits. They’d have to arrange anything around that.”

“Uh, Blaine” Oh good, Sam could speak again “That’s the week after my Spring Break.”

“I think something can be arranged.”

An hour later everything was ready and people had started to arrive for the soft opening, which was the reason why Blaine was surprised Cooper sent one of the servers to ask him to come back to the kitchen. “Hey, Coop. Is there a problem?”

“I don’t know. In all the craziness, I forgot something.”

“What?”

“Him.”

Cooper pointed over at Kurt who was putting breadsticks into baskets. “I was going to call him and tell him not to come until tomorrow, but it slipped through the cracks. I can still send him home, but Finn’s said he’d make sure he doesn’t go out into the dining area until it’s time for him to serve the desserts.”

Suddenly the little signs on the tables made so much sense “Is this why the guests are supposed to snap for their desserts?”

“Let’s just say most of my servers worked at the Old Breadstix and they remember Hummel quite vividly. Are you sure you’re ok with him being here with whatever your surprise is?”

“If you think Finn can control him, I’m ok. Just keep him out of the dining area when Sam and I perform.” While Blaine was talking, Cooper had pulled out his phone to read a text. From the smile on his face, Blaine knew who it was “That’s her, isn’t it? The mystery woman that you’ve been dating?”

“Yes, and I want you to be the first one to meet her. I told her to come around back, so I’m going to go let her in.”

When Cooper left, Blaine pulled out his own phone to check his texts but he should have known better “I’m not doing this today, Kurt. This is a big night for Cooper.”

“I know, I just wanted to assure you that I’m not going to do anything to ruin this for him.”

After the reception, Kurt had devised a new plan. He was going to show Blaine that he was still that Kurt. The Kurt that Blaine had said he missed.

“Well, actions will speak much louder…” Blaine didn’t finish as both he and Kurt were dumbstruck to see the woman Cooper walked up with.

“Miss Holliday?”

Once Blaine got over the shock that his brother was dating Holly Holliday, he began to really enjoy himself. In fact, everyone did, which was a relief to Cooper and a source of great pride for his parents. The Andersons were ecstatic that Cooper seemed to be finding himself since his move back to Ohio.

At 6PM, Blaine and Sam picked up their guitars and got set up on stage. People were still eating, but it was the time Blaine had given to those watching on the web cast. “Hi, sorry to interrupt your dinner and by all means, keep eating. I mean, how amazing is this new menu? And let’s all give Cooper a hand for bringing fresh baked breadsticks to Breadstix!” After an enthusiastic round of applause Blaine went on to say “And wait until you taste the desserts. They are also fresh baked here at the restaurant. But, before they’re served, you are stuck with me, well me and Sam, for a few minutes as my big brother has allowed me this momentary take over.”

“Didn’t really have a choice! Did I, Squirt?” Cooper called out, earning him laughter from his guests.

Blaine stuck out his tongue in true little brother fashion, which everyone seemed to enjoy as well, but then he got serious “Most of you know what today has meant for me, and I appreciate how you have supported my decision to keep things private.” He, and all of the Andersons and New Directions, shot a glare over at Will, who looked away but knew what they were telling him.

“Yesterday, I received some news that has made today a little easier and I want to share it with you all, but of course I’m not just going to come out and say it. Dad, this is for you. Thanks for not giving up on me.”

Charles looked at his wife, Cooper, Robert even Sugar, Sebastian, Trent and Santana. They all shook their heads. None of them knew what Blaine had planned. Ok, Sugar did, but she wasn’t telling. He just couldn’t believe Blaine had singled him out for this, especially today. How he acted when Blaine told them he was gay was, and would always be, the greatest regret of his life.

 _Well I won't give up on us, even if the skies get rough_  
_I'm giving you all my love, I'm still looking up_

 _And when you're needing your space, to do some navigating_  
_I'll be here patiently waiting, to see what you find_

 _'Cause even the stars they burn_  
_Some even fall to the earth_  
_We've got a lot to learn_  
_God knows we're worth it_

_No, I won't give up_

_I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily_  
_I'm here to stay and make the difference that I can make_  
_Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use_  
_The tools and gifts we got yeah, we got a lot at stake_

 _And in the end, you're still my friend at least we did intend_  
_For us to work we didn't break, we didn't burn_  
_We had to learn how to bend without the world caving in_  
_I had to learn what I've got, and what I'm not and who I am_

Just when Charles thought he couldn’t smile any bigger, or cry any harder, he saw Sugar and the rest of the New Directions stand and join in with Blaine and Sam.

 _I won't give up on us ( **no I'm not giving up** )_  
_God knows I'm tough enough ( **I am tough, I am loved** )_  
_We've got a lot to learn ( **we're alive, we are loved** )_  
_God knows we're worth it ( **and we're worth it** )_

The rest of the room fell away. It was just him and the boy who he loved more than anything but had almost lost due to his own fears and ignorance.

 _I won't give up on us, even if the skies get rough_  
_I'm giving you all my love, I'm still looking up_

Charles wasn’t the only one in tears, his wife was as well. The two of them hung on to each other so they wouldn’t head to the stage and hug their son so tightly that it would prevent Blaine from saying what he was about to tell them.

“Every year Julliard puts on what is known as the Past, Present and Future Concert at Lincoln Center. Yesterday, I received a call informing me that I am the Future.” Blaine continued despite the gasp he heard from the guests “Yes, that means that I have been accepted to Julliard and three weeks from Friday I will be playing three songs at Lincoln Center. So, is everyone ready for some cheesecake?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I Won’t Give Up: Jason Mraz, Michael Natter 2012. I did not remember this song being sung on the show. I went back and watched and have to admit it was not one of Rachel’s better performances (Opinion)
> 
> I know Blaine wasn't at McKinley when Holly subbed, but he did go to the Night of Neglect where she performed.
> 
> I totally made up the Julliard concert
> 
> In the next few chapters, Blaine will have several opportunities made available to him. So many that it could possibly be seen as unrealistic (oh no, it’s totally unrealistic) but trust me on this. And as always, thank you for reading.


	35. Killer Instincts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s time for Regionals and the Warblers are stretched to their limits. Will all the outside distractions sabotage their ultimate goal of not only winning Regionals, but Nationals? And what’s up with Blaine?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Canon dialogue was used in this chapter. Please see previous chapters for disclaimers. Episodes referenced are in end notes.

**Wednesday**

“Where is he?” Sebastian asked the guys who were already in the Commons. He had been working on his Senior Project for his Computer Science class, so he was already in a shitty mood. Why the fuck did he need to know the difference between C++ and Javascript? And when the hell was he ever going to write his own computer program, except for this stupid project? That’s what he had Doug for!

A loud banging answered the question of where his co-captain/boyfriend was “Guys, let me out of here!” Obviously, Blaine had tried to change something yet again and the rest of the Senior Warblers had made good on their promise to lock him in the office if he did.

“How long has he been in there?”

“About 15 minutes” Thad told him.

Sebastian had to think about how he wanted to handle this. On one hand, Blaine did promise that there would be no last minute changes. On the other hand, he wanted to have sex again before graduation. He decided to talk to Blaine (through the door) before he made a plan. “Hey, B. Heard you tried to make some changes again. We all agreed on Monday that the routines were set. Remember?”

“Oh Bas, thank god you’re here. Please let me out. The guys are being unreasonable. I'm not trying to be bossy. I'm trying to give the benefit of my experience. I have won more show choir competitions than anyone in that room!”

Sebastian knew there was only one thing to do and he’d have to take one for the team “Anyone else feel like going off campus for lunch? We can bring something back for Blaine Jong-un.”

**Thursday**

“Sebastian!”

He could tell by the tone of Jeff’s voice that Blaine had either tried something or said something to piss him off…again. The body language between the two only confirmed his deduction. Yup, sex was probably going to be out of the question yet again “What’s going on?”

“Blaine, why don’t you ask your boyfriend the question you just asked me?” Jeff knew he was partly at fault for this but Blaine had taken things too far.

“I am co-captain. I am responsible for safety. My question was not unreasonable.”

Ok, said something to piss Jeff off. “What did you say, B?”

“All I did was ask if the guys who are tumbling were wearing their non-skid soles. I saw Jeff change his shoes and I wanted to know if the others had as well.”

Sebastian shook his head and asked Jeff to give them a minute. “I wasn’t wrong about this Bas” Blaine told him.

“No, but the way you confronted Jeff was. You questioned him on the responsibility you and I gave him. Or to be more specific, the responsibility the rest of the guys and I were able to force you to let go of.” Sebastian took a deep breath before he went on “I made you an appointment with Dr. Shepard for after we’re finished here.”

“What the fuck?! You had no…”

“The guys have locked you in the office…twice! For some reason you are micromanaging to the point that we can’t take it anymore. B, you’re reminding us of how it was when you came back from the hospital.”

“I’m not that…” Blaine looked at Sebastian’s face and knew it was. “Fine, I’ll go, but not before reminding you that you said you would see a therapist after what happened on Valentine’s Day. It doesn’t matter that you are in a much better mood.”

“It just so happens, I have appointments set up with the therapist Trent’s mom recommended on Monday, Tuesday and after I give my deposition on Wednesday.” That seemed to calm Blaine down a bit. “B, you were right yesterday when you said you have more experience at winning these things than the rest of us, but that experience won’t help if you’re locked in the office. You’ve had to realize that since you can’t punch them, the guys aren’t afraid of you anymore.”

Before he could respond, Blaine saw Nari and other girls from their sister school arrive. It was kind of a tradition that the girls would come watch the final full practice. It put some fresh eyes on the routine and while no changes would be made (…Blaine!), the girls could point out parts that needed to be cleaned up. Nari’s arrival also gave Blaine the opportunity to do as Sam had asked and check on her.

While he did that, Sebastian began to walk back to the guys and noticed the expression on Trent’s face. He didn’t understand until he followed Trent’s sight line which led to Blaine talking with Nari. Suddenly, one of his unanswered questions from the other day made sense, so he went and pulled his best friend aside “Nari’s the girl you’ve been in love with since you were five.”

Trent tried not to appear horrified that Sebastian had figured out the secret he had been keeping for almost 13 years “What…I mean…what?”

“My friend, it’s pretty obvious. Why haven’t you done something about it?”

Trent let out a soft groan, resigned to the fact that Sebastian would not let this go “Shyness but, and don’t get a big head about this, hanging around with you gave me the confidence to tell her. Which I was going to do on New Year’s Eve…the day she meant Sam. Now they’re together and let’s be honest, how am I supposed to compete with him? I’m not afraid to admit the guy is gorgeous.”

“First of all, you working out with B has done a lot for you.”

“Hasn’t helped with the chipmunk cheeks.”

Sebastian gave him a swift swat on the butt “It has for the cheeks that matter, and she and Sam aren’t seeing each other anymore.”

“How come?” Trent tried to sound as normal as his internal squealing would allow.

“They still like each other, but distance became a problem.” Sebastian looked over at Thad and Nick who were still attempting to calm Jeff down “Unfortunately, after we get back from college visits I think there are two more couples that will figure that out as well.”

After two run-throughs, all the girls agreed that the routines were spot on. Blaine thanked them for coming and then excused himself to go see Dr. Shepard. He hated to admit it but it was probably a good thing Sebastian had done this. He had thought everyone was exaggerating, but when he overheard Nick and Thad talking to a couple of Junior Warblers about a hostile takeover…yeah, he needed to fix this fast.

He looked at the clock on his dashboard and saw that he had another ten minutes left in his drive, so he decided to call Sam over the bluetooth. He told him that he had seen Nari and she was sad, but ok. Sam in turn, told him to call Sugar when he got the chance. She and Kitty had a few realizations of their own when he split from Nari. Blaine thanked him and promised to call her later, but now he wanted to talk about what was really on his mind. “Have you had a chance to look at the arrangement I sent you?”

“Are you kidding? I couldn’t stop playing it, Blaine. It was that good, but why is this song so important? I thought you said that this wasn’t the song you had to write for your project.”

“I have to play three songs at the Julliard Concert and they want two to be originals. _Sebastian’s Heart_ would be the first and I want this one to be the other, that way I can still do my version of _I Dreamed a Dream_. If I can’t get this song to work, I’ll have to switch to _You+Me_ and probably _Cough Syrup_.

“Why don’t you just use whatever song you wrote for Regionals?”

“What makes you think I wrote a song for Regionals?”

“You complained for a month that Jeff was bugging you to write one, then you just stopped. You know I won’t say anything.”

“Ok, yes we are doing an original that I wrote at Regionals, but it just doesn’t feel right for the concert. I really want this to be this song, but Sam, the song doesn’t work without that guitar in the lead. I really need your help on this.”

A half hour later, Blaine was sitting on the couch at his therapist’s office, arms crossed in annoyance, waiting for the man to stop laughing “It’s not that funny, Doc. And aren’t you supposed to be making me feel better? How is laughing at me helping with that?”

“Oh, come on. They locked you in the office not once, but twice. You don’t find that at least a little bit funny. Think about it, Blaine. You have said on more than one occasion that you just want to be a normal kid. What’s more normal than your friends calling you out when you’re being ridiculous? Which you are, by the way. The locking you in the office was just a bonus.”

Blaine loosened his defensive posture. The man may have had a point…Damn it! “Ok, fine, maybe I’ve been a bit uptight, but I don’t have to time for self-reflection. Can you give me something to work with here?”

“This one time, I will. It’s not residual feelings from what happened with the sentencing, although you’re not as fine with it as you think you are. It’s not pressure from Julliard or your Graduation Plan. In my professional opinion, you are overcompensating because you feel you’re the reason the Warblers haven’t won Regionals the last two years and you owe them one.”

“That’s ludicrous.”

“Hear me out. Your return to Dalton began with you taking back a Nationals trophy. Are you telling me you don’t see the symbolism of giving them one of their own? The problem is _you_ can’t give them one, no matter how much you want to. The _Warblers_ , all of you, have to earn it. You know I’m right.”

“What if you are?”

“Then we have a place to start.”

**Friday**

“Cookies!”

Blaine and Trent watched as Sebastian ran to the door and almost tackled Trent’s mother.

“Sometimes I think he likes those cookies more than he likes me” Trent sighed.

“And sometimes I think he likes those cookies more than he likes me” Blaine said, causing them both to laugh.

Sebastian really did like those cookies.

**Saturday: Day of Regionals (Finally!)**

While the Warblers were arriving at the venue, their friends in New York were setting up a computer for the live stream. Evidently, Artie had volunteered to take care of it this time and Doug was going to return the favor the following week. Fortunately, David was going to come over a little early to connect the computer to the television so they’ll have a bigger picture.

Quinn and Nichole had come in from New Haven and Boston to watch the guys. The two of them had actually formed a friendship while they were back in Ohio. “Santana, I thought you were staying in Lima until tomorrow. What happened?” Quinn asked.

“I stayed for work, but finished early.” Santana wasn’t going to say any more. Her idea with the guys had gone over well and the magazine had decided to publish it. She wanted it to be a surprise, but she also didn’t want Wes to hear about it. She hadn’t seen him since the reception and was still a little unnerved by what he said to her.

“Is it true that the Warblers are in what everyone on the show choir blogs are calling the _Regionals Bracket of Death_?” Nichole asked. “That’s what Jeff told me.”

Rachel went and got her laptop, opening it to one of the more popular blogs “Yes, see? The Warblers are competing against not only Vocal Adrenaline, but the Hoosierdaddies. Any of those three teams could easily make top five at Nationals, but two will be eliminated today. That gives less talented teams a chance to place higher than they might have otherwise.”

“Like the New Directions” Santana huffed.

“Don’t say that, Santana” Mercedes was surprised by her comment. “They’re the defending National Champions.”

“That lost at Sectionals” Santana reminded her. “Then somehow Mr. Schue was not only able to get them into Regionals, but moved to an easier bracket. That’s the reason the Warblers are even competing against Vocal Adrenaline, they should be up against the New Directions. Mr. Schue was able to get them switched. All this so he could stick it to Blaine.”

“Well, why should things be any different now? Schuster didn’t appreciate Blaine when he had him. None of you did.” Wes commented, announcing his and David’s arrival.

Santana was sure his comments were directed at her again, although Rachel and Mercedes were just as culpable. In her mind, Wes had singled her out even though she was the one closest to Blaine. Well, she was now.

It was going to be a long afternoon.

Back at the venue, Blaine received a text (oh yeah, collect phones) from Sam that they were there and needed to know where Artie could set up. When Blaine got to the entrance he was surprised to see Rodrick with them.

“Rod’s here to help Artie. Plus, he didn’t join until after Sectionals and hasn’t seen one of these live. With who’s competing today, I thought he should see this in person” Sam explained.

“Just like a captain should.” Blaine was proud of the way Sam had stepped up in his role as captain, or was being allowed to step into his role now that the outside influences were gone. Finn was the chosen alumni to stay as result of the Warblers winning the Diva-Off, but he had been really good at deferring to Sam (much to Will’s chagrin).

Speaking of Will, he showed up with Finn and Puck, so Blaine went back to his seat as not to get agitated. “Hey, what are you guys doing here?” Sam asked, although he had a good idea. It just surprised him that his advisor hadn’t mentioned he was coming, but he didn’t know why. There were a lot of things that Will hadn’t told him, like the fact that he somehow arranged for Vocal Adrenaline to compete in this bracket.

“I’m here to film Mikey’s stud muffin for him” Puck told them.

“We’re about to go set up a live stream. Why don’t you come with us and we can Mike set up too?” Puck agreed to Artie’s offer and followed him and Rodrick to their designated area.

Once they were gone, Sam turned to Finn and asked “Where’s Kurt?”

“Uh, Cooper made sure he was put on the schedule at Breadstix so he couldn’t be here.”

That put a smile on Sam’s face “Gotta love him. So, I’ll see you guys Monday?”

“Sam, you should sit with us so we can take notes” Will told him.

Was he serious? “No, I shouldn’t and your definitely are not sitting with me because I am sitting with the Andersons, Smythes and Nixons, Trent’s family. Just to put it out there, Kitty is also here to support Thad and it should be a no brainer that Sugar is here considering she’s Blaine’s cousin and Nick’s girlfriend. And I’m not here to scope out the competition. I’m here to support my friends like they will do for me next week.”

“Sam…”

“Don’t worry, Mr. Schue. When the Warblers win and then we win next week, the gloves will be off as far as Nationals are concerned.” Sam started to leave but thought he had better clarify something first “However, with everything else, nothing changes. Blaine and I are still best friends and I won’t put up with any crap you try to say about it. Oh, there goes the flashing lights. You two better find seats.”

The one thing that went the Warblers way was they would be performing last, giving Blaine and Sebastian a chance to analyze what the other teams did without comparing the performances to their own. There was no _How the hell did they make it to Regionals_ team in this group, so anything they saw could be useful.

The first up were the Hoosierdaddies.

“That girl reminds me a lot of Rachel, but what does _Clarity_ have to do with the theme _Tell us who you are_?”

“Only one of the songs has to fit the theme. Last year for _Vintage_ the only song we did that fit was _Dashboard_.”

“Oh look, they have more girls than the Rachel-wannabe. Um B? Was that girl’s dance as offensive to you as it was to me?”

“If by offensive you mean racist, yes it was. I wonder if we were the only ones that thought so.”

Once they were able to move past the whole _Did they really just do that?_ dance, both of them had to admit that _Wings_ did fit the persona that the girls in the group gave off. However, half of the group, aka the boys, had not been represented. Hopefully, that would be held against them.

Then it was Vocal Adrenaline’s turn and Sebastian had all sorts of things to say about that routine.

“It’s the same move over and over. They just switch out who’s riding around on the scaffolding. Ok, the scaffolding is going out. _Mickey_? Seriously? How does that show who they are? _We built this City_ didn’t say it either unless they’re trying to claim that they are the ones that built the reputation of dominate teams coming from this area.”

“Bas…”

“And what’s with the guy on the bouncers? That’s just a distractor hiding the fact that nothing they’re doing is original. Holy fuck! They shot guys out of cannons? Out of cannons, B!”

“Bas, it’s ok. That was a big, overdramatic mess. The judges should see that. You need to calm down because it’s time to head back. It’s your job to be the level headed one.”

While the Warblers headed back stage, those in the audience began to feel the nerves. “Does anyone know what their singing?” Cooper asked.

“I know that the first song is not the first one they chose” Sam said and then laughed at the looks he was getting. “Blaine and I were able to talk without giving any important information away. However, I do have his permission to tell you that he wrote the second song.”

“Blainey wrote…” Before Sugar could continue the lights flickered and they took their seats.

Sebastian’s father leaned over to Blaine’s “What’s the theme of this again?”

“Tell us who you are.”

_I want it all, I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now_

It took everything the two dads had in them to laugh out loud. They knew the song and neither believed a more appropriate song could have been chosen. It didn’t take them long to refocus, especially Mr. Anderson since for the moment Blaine was singing lead.

 _A young fighter screaming, with no time for doubt_  
_With the pain and anger can't see a way out_

 _It ain't much I'm asking_  
_I heard him say_  
_Gotta find me a future_

(All) _Move out of my way_

(Seniors) _I want it all, I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now_  
(All) _I want it all, I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now_

(Trent) _Listen all you people, come gather round_  
_I gotta get me a game plan, gotta shake you to the ground_

Trent’s parents smiled at each other, amazed in the changes in their son over the last few months. They both had to admit they had concerns when Trent first talked about his friendship with Sebastian, but now they couldn’t be any happier.

(Blaine) _It ain't much I'm asking, if you want the truth_  
_Here's to the future for the dreams of youth_

(All) _I want it all, I want it all, I want it all and I want it_

(Doug…it was a really high note) _Now!_

(Sebastian) _I'm a man with a one track mind_  
_So much to do in one lifetime_  
(Thad, Jeff  & Nick on harmonies) _(People do you hear me)_  
_Not a man for compromise and where's and why's and living lies_

 _(So I'm living it all)_  
_Yes, I'm living it all_  
_(And I'm giving it all)_  
_And I'm giving it all…Whoo!_

While Beat and “the Band” had a strong presence throughout the song, this was their opportunity to shine.

“Fuck! They sound just like a fucking rock band!” Puck was thoroughly impressed, but Rodrick was in shock.

“We’re supposed to beat that? How the hell do we beat that?”

Then the dancers and tumblers came in.

“Finally!” David cheered. “I wish we would have had the guys to do that when we were there.”

Quinn laughed as Nichole leaned her head to the side as she stared at the screen “See something you like, Nichole?”

“I…I just didn’t know Jeff was that…that, um…flexible.”

(Blaine) _It ain't much I'm asking, if you want the truth_  
_Here's to the future_  
_Hear the cry of youth_  
_(hear the cry, hear the cry, hear the cry of youth)_

(All) _I want it all, I want it all, I want it all and I want it…_  
_Now!_

While people had been on their feet cheering since the beginning the abrupt end made them go wild, almost causing them to miss Beat go straight to the opening of Blaine’s song. While he had originally insisted on no solos, the guys convinced him that since he wrote the song he should take lead. Once Blaine caved in, he was happy with the decision because it allowed him the chance to drop in a few surprises.

 _This ain't a song for the broken-hearted_  
_No silent prayer for the faith-departed_  
_I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd_  
_You're gonna hear my voice_  
_When I shout it out loud_

(Chorus) _It's my life_  
_It's now or never_  
_I ain't gonna live forever_  
_I just want to live while I'm alive (It's my life)_

(Blaine) _My heart is like an open highway_  
_Sebastian said I did it my way_  
_I just want to live while I'm alive_

(All) _It's my life_

While everyone was surprised at Sebastian’s name being put in, they didn’t have time to recover.

 _This is for the ones who stood their ground_  
_It's for Tommy and Tana who never backed down_

In New York, while the girls were squealing over hearing Santana’s name, David pulled Wes back. He had never seen his friend look as panicked as he did when Blaine said the name Tommy. “Wes, you need to pull it together. The girls are going to notice you’re freaking out.”

“David, he said Tommy. What the hell happened?”

“I don’t know and while I don’t know the whole Tommy story, I know this is bad. But, you need to suck it up for now because the girls will see you and have questions. And when I say girls, I mean Santana especially since Blaine used her name in the same line.”

Meanwhile back in Ohio, those who knew of Tommy were trying not to react. Blaine had gone on to use Wes, Sammy and Sugar in the song but Tommy was what stood out. People were going to have questions because all of the other names were recognizable.

 _And it's now or never_  
_We ain't gonna live forever_  
_We just want to live while we’re alive (It's our life)_

 _Our hearts are like an open highway_  
_The Warblers said we did it our way_  
_We just want to live while we’re alive_

_It's my life_

Monday during Glee, Sam and Artie showed video from the weekend.

“Holy Shit!” That got everyone’s attention considering it came out of Joe’s mouth. “While the other two groups were unbelievable, it was easy to see why the Warblers won.”

Even more surprising was how animated the usually reserved Rodrick became “The video doesn’t begin to capture how good they were. I mean…I mean…there are no words…I can’t…” Kitty put her hand over his mouth to stop the rambling. She had listened to it the entire drive home on Saturday.

“Come on guys, we could have beat that” Will tried to convince his club. Finn shook his head because it was obvious the man had lost his fucking mind and he wasn’t the only one that thought so.

“Have you lost your fucking mind? We couldn’t have beat any of those teams.”

“Sam…”

“No, we couldn’t and you are not doing us any favors by telling us we could. However, we are going to win this Saturday because of the crap competition we’re up against, and I’m sure the teams already going to Nationals know that too. We’re going to be known as the team that lost Sectionals and then had their advisor abuse the system to make sure they made Nationals.”

“Sam…”

“I’m not done. Mr. Schue, you owe us because all of this is your fault. You need to get your head out of your ass and stop living in last year. We have amazing dancers on this squad, yet we’re not showing that in our Regionals performance. Unique was last year’s Nationals MVP and don’t get me started on Rodrick’s voice but, no offense guys, we are lacking in one area. With the exception of Kitty and maybe Tina, none of us have the killer instinct to bully the competition like Rachel, Mercedes or Santana…hell, even Kurt. The Warblers have that and we won’t beat them without it. So, either you find a way to coach that or as captain I’ll make sure we get what we need. I’ll get Sue Sylvester.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Canon dialogue from Episode 5x07 (Puppet Master). Sam’s comments about the ND not having a killer instinct uses pieces of Finn’s comments from Episode 4x13 (Diva)
> 
> Hoosierdaddies performance of Clarity/Wings is from 4x22 (All or Nothing). The offensive dance comes in the transition between songs. I watched the video three times, each time saying “Did she really just do that?” but I seem to do that a lot when I go back and watch canon.
> 
> Vocal Adrenalin performance of We built this City/Mickey is from 6x11 (We built this Glee Club).
> 
> I Want It All: Brian May, Freddie Mercury, John Deacon, Michie Nakatani, Roger Taylor 1989. The idea for this song came from the Pentatonix version of Bohemian Rhapsody. 
> 
> It’s My Life: Richard Sambora, Jon Bon Jovi, Max Martin 1999. Tommy is the one name actually used in the song. It was how I chose the character’s name. I knew I would use this at some point.


	36. The Break Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I somehow managed to delete the original posting. Oops :)

“How long has he been like that?” Sebastian asked, looking at his boyfriend sprawled across his bed, arm covering his eyes.

“Like that, a little over an hour” Beat told him. “He came back from therapy, took a shower, put on a pair of sweats and then this. I was giving him time but…”

“You’re right. The fact that he let his hair dry without product was definitely a red flag.”

“You know, I can hear you.”

“Oh, he lives” Sebastian teased only to receive a middle finger in response.

Beat walked over and grabbed his bag “Ok, that’s my cue to leave. I have to finish the outline for my Poly Sci Project anyway. Bud, if you need me…”

“I know. Thanks, Drum.” After he was gone, Blaine removed his arm from his face “You stink.”

“Well, I love you too, B. And it’s not my fault your best Dalton friend sent my best anywhere friend to drag me from lacrosse practice.” When Sebastian heard Blaine groan, he realized his patented charming sarcasm would not work this time. “Want to talk about it?”

“No.”

“If I took a shower, would you talk about it?”

“Maybe.”

“Tell you what, I’ll go take a shower and you give either Sam or Sugar a call. Both of them are good at making you laugh. I’d say FaceTime, but if you call they won’t see your hair.” Once again, he received a hand-gesture in response, but then Blaine used that hand to pick up his phone.

Sebastian knew what the problem was. Blaine had been off-center since he realized his slip-up of using Tommy’s name in the song at Regionals. Thankfully, Beat had jumped in immediately and claimed to be Tommy. Those not in the know bought the story and laughed at how Beat’s real name was revealed. Those that knew Beat was covering for something were willing to let it go for now.

By the time he finished showering and let himself into Blaine’s room, the mood there had done a complete 180.

“Hey Sam, Bas is here. I know we said radio silence until Saturday but you have to keep me updated…I knew I’d have to tell him eventually…I will not…Ok, fine…And thanks again for listening to me. I’m glad someone appreciates my love of show choir blogs…Yeah, I laughed my ass off too...Ok…Ok...Of course, I’m obsessing. It’s what I do…I love you too, Sammy. Bye.”

Sebastian closed the door then sat across from Blaine on his bed “You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you and Sam were having a not so secret affair.”

“No, but I could see having a massive unrequited crush on him if I was still stuck at McKinley. By the way, have you heard anything about my exile?”

“Are you asking if Thad and Nick leaked the rumor that you were sent there as a consequence for talking about Fight Club? Because if you are, I can assure you that everyone has heard it. They all knew you wouldn’t have left Dalton voluntarily.”

“But, I did. Bas, I’m not trying to rewrite history. I’m trying to make sure everyone shuts their mouths about Fight Club when they’re giving depositions this week. They’ve got to believe if that could happen to me, whatever we plan for them would totally obliterate their lives.”

“Obliterate, huh? So, earlier was about Fight Club and the depositions, not Tommy?”

“Yes and no. I still can’t believe I said his name. I talked with Doc again and we agree it probably happened because he was in the forefront of my mind due to everything surrounding the case last week.” Blaine reached across for Sebastian’s hand “Thank you for not pushing. Speaking of not pushing, I said I wouldn’t ask, but…”

“B, it’s alright. I liked the therapist Trent’s mom found for me, which is a little weird because she reminded me a lot of that psychotic cheerleading coach at McKinley.”

“Sue? Why, did she call you Barry Allen too? Oh, she’s now the psychotic principal at McKinley and, get this, the first thing she did was suspend Schuster.”

“Seriously?”

**Earlier at McKinley**

_Finn saw Sugar give him a thumbs-up and then go and grab pen and paper. His idea had worked. With that accomplished, he was ready to leave for the day but was stopped “What did you need, Ryder?”_

_“If you’re going to the principal’s office I want to go with you.”_

_“Why would I go there?”_

_“When you were over with Sugar, Mr. Schue took Sam for “speaking to him like that”. You didn’t see them leave?”_

_“Shit! Go get Jake.”_

_“Why?”_

_“Because if I’ve learned anything it’s…if you’re headed into battle, take a Puckerman.”_

_While they went and got Jake, Will and Sam reached the principal’s office but didn’t find what they expected. Sue was sitting behind the desk and there was someone with her “Superintendent Harris? What’s going on?”_

_“Oh, Mr. Schuster, good to see you. To answer your question, the School Board found out some, um, disturbing information concerning Principal Figgins. For at least the remainder of the school year Coach Sylvester will be acting principal. If you’ll excuse me, I have some business to take care of back at my office.”_

_As he left Finn, Ryder and Jake came in. “What’s going on?”_

_“Evidently Principal Sylvester is in charge” Sam answered, but his tone told Finn that there was more to talk about later._

_“The Yellow Lizard speaks the truth. I am in my rightful place yet again.”_

_“Blonde Chameleon.”_

_“Whatever. Now, William explain to me why you and your club of misfits are bothering me in my moment of triumph.”_

_“My issue is with Sam. The rest of you can go.”_

_In unison, the three late arrivals crossed their arms in defiance with Jake replying “Not happening.”_

_“Well, this just got more interesting.” Sue leaned back in her chair and pointed at Sam “What did you do?”_

_Sam decided with Sue the best thing would be to tell the truth…at least this time. “I told him he had lost his fucking mind and if he didn’t stop living in the past I was going to ask you to coach us for Nationals.”_

_“What makes you think you’ll win Regionals since you’ve already lost to Blaine Warbler, Barry Allen and others not once, but twice?”_

_“Mr. Schue rigged the brackets so we didn’t compete against the Warblers. Our competition is Gregorian chanters and a group from a school that rescues birds.”_

_“I see. William, you’re suspended. Gigantor, you take them on Saturday.”_

_“What?!” At that moment, Will probably did lose his fucking mind._

_“Lips, don’t move. William, stay with Becky and the rest of you just go away.” Becky (literally) shoved everyone except Sam out of the office and shut the door behind her. “Let me make two things clear, Mr. Evans. One, if you ever speak to any of my faculty like that again, you will be the one suspended. And two, you’re display of leadership has officially made you my third favorite student behind Becky Jackson and Blaine Warbler.”_

_“Blaine goes to Dalton.”_

_“Semantics. You may leave, but in your inevitable call to Mr. Anderson, tell him I will grant his request.”_

“Breathing is a good thing, Bas. You might want to try it.”

“I…I…can’t!” I took several minutes, and a few dozen deep breaths, but Sebastian finally calmed down. “Ok, ok, that’s amazing but what request is she granting?”

“Emma…”

“Emma?”

“She said to call her that since I’m no longer a McKinley student. I think she knew I didn’t want to call her Mrs. Schuster. So, Emma was embarrassed last year when I wanted to send out applications for early admittance. She had never heard of anyone doing that and my parents had to hire someone to do _her job_.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope. So, I talked to her about how Dalton takes care of college visits for Seniors and suggested maybe McKinley could do something similar, but not just for those going to college…”

“And you helped her write up a proposal so Sam could be excused when he’s in New York for the photo shoot.”

“I guess it was on the desk when Sue took over. Now, if I could solve my own problems that easily.”

“Blaine…”

“No, I’m just overwhelmed with everything I’ve got going on. The depositions, the concert, the LA trip, Santana’s photo shoot, finding out why the hell I have an audition at NYADA, those are all happening in the next three weeks. When am I supposed to get my Graduation Plan done? And what about getting ready for Nationals?”

Sebastian was going to respond, thinking Blaine had finished, but then he quietly added “And what about you?”

“What about me?” When Blaine didn’t answer and just played with this cuff, Sebastian got up and moved to sit up against Blaine’s headboard. Then he pulled his boyfriend into cuddle, which from the sound of his sigh was exactly what he needed. “What about me, B?”

“You have your deposition on Wednesday.”

“And the rest of you are up tomorrow. I don’t see the problem?”

“Bas, we all know yours will be way worse than ours. I wanted to make things easier for you. That’s why when we were at the Sugar Shack, I told you that I was going to make you my sexual plaything this week. To help with your stress.” Blaine buried his head into Sebastian’s side. He didn’t know why after everything they had done together, this embarrassed him. Hell, he was the one that thought of it in the first place. He had made plans and had even gone to see Santa.

So, why hadn’t Sebastian said anything? “Bas?”

“Blaine, as amazing as what you said sounds, I think we’re going to have to cancel the debauchery.”

“Bas…”

“Listen to me. You can’t _fit in_ your Graduation Plan, B. This isn’t the New Directions where you can leave everything until the last minute and expect a good outcome.” That comment earned him a kick to the shin. “Ok, I deserved that, but you know what I was trying to say.”

“I know.” Blaine sighed and cuddled in closer. “It sounds like you have a suggestion.”

“I do. I think we should break up.”


	37. Telephone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Seblaine break up takes on a life of its own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the second part of the last chapter. I just could not make these two parts fit together in a way that made sense.
> 
> The last chapter was deleted at some point yesterday and I lost a comment from someone who wasn’t a regular commenter. I just want that person to know that I was happy to see the comment even if they did call me evil :)

**Earlier that evening in New York**

Rachel pulled her curtain shut and then promptly face planted onto her bed, bemoaning the fact that she didn’t stop to buy ice cream for her pity party. Mondays were always her long day at NYADA, but today had been especially brutal.

The announcement that Blaine was The Future for the Julliard Concert at Lincoln Center had spread through NYADA like wildfire. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for people to remember that she and Blaine were friends, so she spent the majority of her day being bombarded with questions. Hell, even Cassie July asked her about Blaine. It had gotten so bad that at one point she considered making a sign saying _I don’t know if Blaine plans on auditioning for NYADA but considering he didn’t actually apply here and was accepted at his school of choice, I would say the answer is most likely…No._

While she would never condone Kurt’s Alpha Gay behavior towards Blaine, she now understood how it could have happened.

Despite everything, Kurt had been her person. She missed him. She missed how they would talk about their day over dinner. How they would go out in their free time and find things for the loft. How they would think of ways to get Kurt another NYADA audition. How Kurt would go insane when she got anything on her new clothes. But most of all, she missed how they would stay up at night and talk about how much they missed Finn and Blaine. Those talks were the reason she knew Kurt really did love Blaine and she didn’t care what anyone else said.

That included Kurt back when he lost his mind and thought he was in love with Sebastian.

She was about to text him when a call came through from an unknown number. She probably wouldn’t have answered it, but it was from someone in Lima “Hello.”

“Hi, Rachel? It’s Sugar Motta. Finn gave me your number. I’m not interrupting something, am I?”

Never would have guessed Sugar Motta in a million years “It’s fine. What did you need?”

“Sam went off on Mr. Schue today, which was all kinds of awesome, but he said that we don’t have the killer instinct to win Nationals. Well, he said Kitty and Tina have it, but not the rest of us. I can’t ask Blainey, so I talked to Finn. He gave me your number and said I should call.”

Finn told her to call? “Sugar, what are you talking about?”

“I want you to teach me how to be a total show choir bitch. I mean like when you sent that girl to a crack house bitch.”

Rachel had to laugh. Somehow Finn had known exactly what she needed “Sugar, you’ve come to the right person.”

Back in Lima, Finn saw Sugar give him a thumbs-up and then go and grab pen and paper. His idea had worked.

**Meanwhile at Dalton**

Blaine practically jumped off the bed and yelled “Sebastian Smythe, that is the dumbest thing you have ever said. We are not breaking up!” Then he slapped his (at least for the next few minutes) boyfriend’s arm for emphasis.

“Ouch, that hurt! I didn’t mean we should break up-break up.”

Blaine made his _I’m going to scrunch my face while I think about if I believe what you said_ face, which was a good sign. He sat back down on the bed, but as far from Sebastian as possible “I’m listening.”

“I’ve thought about working on my projects from home for the rest of the week so I can spend time with Izzy, and maybe Sierra, before they go back to Paris on Thursday. I have my deposition on Wednesday morning meaning I don’t have Advisory and since you were outvoted, the Warblers won’t begin work on Nationals until after college visits. The only reason I’m still here is my undying love for you.” Sebastian broke out his signature smile because he could see Blaine was beginning to waver. “It’s not like we aren’t spending the next two weeks together in LA then New York. And don’t you have your AP Biology test on Wednesday?”

“Yeah, but that’s the one thing I’m not worried about.” Blaine crawled across the bed and cuddled back into Sebastian’s side “I hate it when you’re all logical.”

“In reality it will only be two and a half days. Sierra is taking Izzy away from me around noon Thursday and I planned on coming back to help with lacrosse practice which is at 2PM. We can have a dinner date in the cafeteria.”

“It is meatloaf night.”

“Well, then you know I’ll be back. I wouldn’t miss that.” They both chuckled at Sebastian’s statement since it was the absolute truth. He liked the meatloaf so much that Mrs. Jordan always made sure there was enough extra to make him a meatloaf sandwich for lunch on Friday. “You know I’m right about this, B.”

“I know and I’ll agree on three conditions.”

“Three?”

“Yes, three. One, we switch bracelets and cuffs so I’ll still have you with me.”

“Done.”

“Two, we find a way to have a night of debauchery on Friday.”

“Definitely done. And three?”

“You don’t get pissed off when I send a mass text to the Warblers with a link to my favorite show choir blog. Before you say no, there’s a video of Throat Explosion’s Regionals performance there and I want everyone to know what we’re up against. Plus, I found out the theme for Nationals and I want to give all the guys a chance to think of song ideas even though we’re not practicing.”

“How did you find…never mind. You found out the theme on the blog. Are you sure? It’s not supposed to be announced until Monday.”

“I trust my sources.”

“You know you’re dying to tell me. How asinine is it?”

“I don’t know if it’s asinine, but you are going to laugh. The theme for this years Nationals is…dun, dun, duh… _Divas through the Decades._

“Are you fucking serious? Nationals is one big Diva-Off?”

“Yup and yup.”

“Fine, I accept your conditions.” Sebastian paused for a moment and then gave Blaine a kiss on the top of his head. “I should get going before I change my mind.”

“Can I at least get a few kisses first?”

“I think that could be arranged.”

Blaine and Sebastian spent the next few minutes saying goodbye, both blissfully unaware of the shit storm they had caused.

**15 Minutes Earlier**

Doug stopped outside of Blaine’s door “Remind me why I agreed to do this.”

“Uh, because we want to be the Second-Year Leaders for the Warblers next year” Chris actually did remind him.

“Yeah” George chimed in “When we tell Blaine how we went to that show choir blog and found out the theme for Nationals, he will appreciate our initiative.”

_Sebastian Smythe, that is the dumbest thing you have ever said. We are not breaking up!_

The three of them stood frozen, eyes darting back and forth between them, playing a game of _Oh My God! Did we just hear what we think we heard?_ Doug broke free and noticed there were several others standing in the hall and it looked like everyone of them had heard the same thing. “I’m getting Trent” he whispered to his friends before taking off running.

A senior named Zane came over to Chris and George “Did Seblaine just break up?”

“We don’t know what’s going on.”

“But we’re not sticking around to find out.”

“That’s a good idea” Zane told the freshmen and headed toward the library. He had played lacrosse with Sebastian and had seen him pissed, but Sebastian after breaking up with Wolverine…the thought of that was scary. When he entered the library, he saw his friend Jagger whose dorm was directly across from Sebastian’s “Hey dude, head’s up. I just heard Seblaine fight and break up.”

“Holy Shit! What happened?”

“Blaine just started yelling S _ebastian Smythe, you are so stupid. You’re not breaking up with me, I’m breaking up with_ _you_!”

“Wow!”

“Yeah, wow. I’ve got to go. Like I said, just wanted to give you a head’s up.”

“Thanks. See you later.” Jagger couldn’t believe what Zane told him. Seblaine? Break up? How? They had been all over each other earlier that day…and every day. But after what he heard about the Fight Club council forcing Blaine to go to Lima last year, there was no way he was asking. Then he remembered, his sister Krissy roomed with Wes Montgomery’s sister over at Crawford Day. He put his books back in his bag and headed out of the library. The second he was through the door he pressed call.

“Hey, Jagger. What’s going on?”

“Krissy, the shit is about to hit the fan here. Seblaine broke up.” From the gasp he heard, Jagger figured his sister was as shocked as he was.

“That’s not possible. I was at the Sugar Shack and saw them together. Because of them, I refuse to ever date a man that can’t sing _In Your Eyes_. Are you sure?”

“Guys heard Blaine yell _Sebastian Smythe, you’re a stupid asshole. You’re not breaking up with me, I’m breaking up with you_! Nari didn’t mention anything? Isn’t she dating that Sam guy?”

“They’re not seeing each other anymore. Shit!” Krissy let out a sigh, realizing how big of a deal this actually was. “She’s in the shower. I better tell her about this when she gets out. I’d say maybe Wes would know something, but he’s in New York.”

“Do me a favor Kris, keep me in the loop. They live across the hall…”

“Don’t worry, I’ll let you know what I can.” Krissy put her phone down and tried to think of the best way to tell Nari about this. Wes and Blaine were more like siblings than Wes and Nari were but she was close to Blaine as well. Also, the mere mention of Blaine would probably trigger more tears about Sam.

“Who was on the phone?” Nari asked as she came out of the bathroom.

“Um, my brother. There’s some drama going on over at Dalton.”

Nari sat on her bed and started braiding her hair “Oh, anything juicy?”

“Blaine and Sebastian broke up.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

“Sorry, Nari.”

“Shut the fuck up! What the hell happened?”

“Jagger didn’t know, he just heard Blaine yelling _Sebastian, you fucking asshole! I’m breaking up with you_. He lives across the hall from them, and is afraid of Blaine for some reason, so he thought maybe you might have said something that would give him an idea of how to deal with this.”

“This can’t be happening. They’re perfect together.”

“So were you and Sam.”

“True, but they live 100 feet from each other, not 100 miles.”

“You want to call him, don’t you?”

“Sam? I don’t know.”

Krissy got up and grabbed her things “I’m going to go take my shower with my music playing and then blow dry my hair. You know, just in case.”

Nari gave her friend a smile and then got her phone out of her night table. When she turned it on she was met by a photo of her and Sam on his Harley. It only got worse when she found his number which was highlighted by a picture of Sam in his BDSM Angel outfit, at least that’s what Sebastian called it. She knew she should delete or at least change the photos, but she wasn’t ready. She wasn’t ready for this either.

“Narissa?”

“Hi, Sam. Yeah, it’s me. I hate to be blunt, but have you talked with Blaine lately?”

“Yeah, earlier this evening. Why?”

“My roommate got a call from her brother saying Dalton had gone nuts because Blaine and Sebastian broke up. Sam, I know Jagger and he’s this really nerdy guy who is afraid of Sebastian but scared shitless of Wolverine. He would never say anything like that if he couldn’t back it up.”

Sam was more worried about the fact that Nari knew Blaine was Wolverine than the idea of Blaine and Sebastian breaking up. That was just too unbelievable to be true “Did he say how he supposedly knew this?”

“He said that a bunch of guys heard Blaine yell _Sebastian you fucking asshole! I can’t believe I came back to Dalton for you!_ ”

“Seb was not the reason…” Sam stopped himself because he knew Sebastian was not the reason Blaine went back to Dalton, but it sounded like Nari didn’t. “Let me make some calls.”

“Will you…?”

“Of course, I’ll call you back as soon as I can. Bye, Narissa.”

After attempting to reach both Blaine and Sebastian twice, Sam decided on a different approach.

“Sam, this isn’t a good time.”

“Then it’s true? Blaine and Sebastian really broke up?”

Beat stopped in his tracks, waving at Trent, Doug, Nick and Jeff to go meet Thad. “Tell me everything you know.”

“I got a call from Narissa, and yes it was awkward, but she heard Blaine and Sebastian had broken up. I tried calling them but there was no answer. That’s why I called you.”

“Doug overheard Blaine yell something about Sebastian being stupid and breaking up. Unfortunately, none of us know for a fact what was said because guys keep coming to us trying to verify rumors they’ve heard. It doesn’t help that we can’t find them.”

“You can’t find either of them?”

“No…oh, ok. You want to call Cooper to have their bodyguards check in.”

“Yeah, and if this break up story is true, someone will have to handle Sugar. I’m pretty sure that someone shouldn’t be Nick.”

“Got it. I’ll take care of things here. Tell Cooper to have one of the guys call me when they locate the drama queens.” Beat ended the call and then caught up with the others in Sebastian and Thad’s room. “That was Sam. Yes, they had a fight. No, they did not break up. They’ve gone to their respective corners to lick their wounds and will come out when they come out. Now, let’s stop the rumor mill and get ready for the inevitable wallowing. Doug, come with me and we’ll get the popcorn and Disney ready. The rest of you, I don’t know what Sebastian would want but my guess is the same, just substitute porn for Disney.”

“That sounds about right” Trent said as he kicked his little brother out of the room before going to Sebastian’s not-so-secret stash.

While Beat was trying to calm things down at Dalton, Sam had made the call to Cooper “Blaine said _Sebastian you fucking asshole! I can’t believe I came back to Dalton for you!_ ”?

“No Cooper, I said that’s what Narissa told me Blaine supposedly said. I think what happened is like that game of telephone where one person hears something and tells another who tells another, and it changes a little each time.”

“I think you’re probably right. Sam, hold on.” Sam could hear Cooper talking with someone but couldn’t make out what they were saying. While waiting, he contemplated how they were going to tell Santana if it came to that... “Sam? Ok, Sebastian is home with his family and Blaine is in one of the music rooms at Dalton. The others couldn’t have gotten back there, but Blaine has a key. I’ll call Beat in a few minutes and help him fix whatever story he came up with. Now, Sammy boy, my newest little brother, tell me all about how you got Schuster suspended.”

Back in New York, Rachel was getting ready for bed. The one good thing about this day was that both Mercedes and Santana were going to be late, and she could take all the time she wanted in the bathroom. A long, hot shower had been just what she needed. Well, the shower and her call from Sugar. She had loved answering all of Sugar’s questions, and she had dozens. Talking about the New Directions and Regionals being on Saturday made her feel like her old self again, but now that it was over she was even lonelier.

She was about to turn off the light when her phone went off again, but this time she recognized the number “Kurt?”

“Rachel? Can you hear me?”

“Yes, but barely. Where are you?”

“I’m at work at Breadstix so I can’t talk long. You’ll never guess what I heard Cooper say. Blaine finally dumped the Meerkat.”

“Kurt, you must have heard things wrong.”

“No, I heard Cooper on the phone with Sam and he definitely said that Blaine questioned why he left me for Sebastian. This is just perfect Rachel. Thanks to you getting me another NYADA audition, not only will I be able to be in New York for Blaine’s concert, maybe Blaine will reconsider his NYADA audition.”

“What do you mean I got you…” Rachel was interrupted by the sound of the loft door opening and someone bilingually cursing at the top of her lungs “Kurt, you may be right about Blaine after all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 200 Kudos! You guys rock!


	38. Who Knew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine’s sudden (and very public) departure from Dalton does nothing to stop the far-reaching Sebreak (Seblaine break-up) rumors, especially since Sebastian has gone MIA.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> During a song, someone commenting makes a pop-culture reference. I did not take time to explain in the chapter, but there is a full explanation in the end note if you need it.

** The Next Morning…New York **

“Damn it, Wes! Will you at least put some boxers on?”

“No! If one of those assholes wants to come crawling home drunk at 6AM and forget which door is theirs, then they get what they get. I was in the middle of a really good dream.”

That comment stopped David in his tracks “Dude, did you really need to go there?”

“Listen dumb ass…” Wes said to the last person on earth he wanted to see as he opened door.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk…I don’t know why you prep school boys keep answering the door like that when you know it does nothing for me. Although, I could give Quinn something to think about if you want.”

Wes felt a pair of shorts hit him in the back of the head. He quickly put them on and sent David a look of _Thank You_ while letting Santana in “What are you doing here, Lopez?”

“If either of you would have answered the 50 calls or texts you got last night you would know. Blaine and Sebastian broke-up and Hummel is already making plans to weasel his way back into our Acapella Dreamboat’s life.”

Two hours later, the three of them left to get their days started and in Ohio, Beat woke up to find that Blaine hadn’t come back last night.

Damn it!

It had been impossible to squash every Sebreak (Seblaine break-up) rumor and the absence of the two supposed exes didn’t help matters. Even though he and the guys had told everyone that it was just a misunderstanding, none of them…or Sam…or Cooper…or Santana (who, with Mercedes, was trying to get ahold of Wes and David) knew exactly what happened. They all did agree that it was unfathomable that with all Blaine and Sebastian had been through together, they could break-up over one fight, but that belief was all they had to go on until they had actual answers.

He got up, put on some sweats and quickly spiked his hair, but when he opened the door to go get Blaine someone unexpected was standing there “Mr. Motta? I mean Robert…or is it Al today? What are you doing here in the dorms?”

“Hi Beat, and for the next few days you should call me Mr. Motta. It’s more appropriate with everything going on and I’m here to get Blaine since he’s giving his deposition this morning. Don’t worry, I signed-in up front. You’ll probably see a lot of lawyers around Dalton the next couple days, but most likely not back in this area. I claim Uncle’s privilege on that one. So, is he in the bathroom?”

“No, he didn’t come back last night. I was headed down to the practice rooms in case he fell asleep at one of the pianos. He’s done it before.”

“This has nothing to do with Sebastian, does it?”

“You know about that?”

“Cooper and Sam thought it best to keep me in the loop in case things got back to Sugar.” Robert pulled out his phone and read a text he had just received “Beat, I’m going to walk down with you. I don’t have a good feeling about this.”

By the time they made it to the practice rooms, the Academy’s gossip network was once again up and running rampant. This time it had more to do with students finding out the identity of Blaine’s lawyer/uncle, causing speculation about Sebastian’s quote/unquote disappearance to go into overdrive. Robert and Beat were able to ignore that, only to be met by something, or to be correct…someone, they couldn’t ignore.

“Hey, did you know Blaine is still here?” Jeff asked. “Oh. Hi, Mr. Motta...”

“Where is he?” Robert asked, knowing that the addition of Jeff to this was a problem he’d have to deal with later.

“Mr. Motta, the second door on the left is Mr. Olsen’s office. The green light means he’s in and available.”

“Thank you, Beat.” Robert pulled out his phone yet again as he walked off leaving Beat to deal with Jeff.

“Dude…”

Before Jeff could say anything else, Beat pulled him into one of the empty room “Ok, just listen for a moment because we won’t have time to go over this again.” Beat knew Blaine, and probably a lot of other people, were going to be pissed with what he was about to do but he saw no other choice. “Sterling, you have to make a decision right now and you’re going to have to live with that decision no matter what.”

“Kind of like the Matrix red pill/blue pill thing?”

“Exactly like that. So, your choices are turn around and pretend this never happened or you can stay and help with Blaine. Either way, you’re not going to be able to talk about this with anyone.”

“Of course…”

“Before you say that, there’s a lot you don’t know. None of the guys do, not even Sebastian or Sam. You won’t be able to talk about this with any of them. Jeff, that means Nick.”

Jeff paused for a moment because he didn’t want his curiosity to make this decision for him. Finding out Blaine and Beat were so close had surprised him. It had also hurt a little that Beat had been in contact with Blaine when he (and the rest of the Warblers) had been excluded. However, he always felt there was more to the story, the question was…did he want to know what that was?

“I’m staying.”

He followed Beat back to the hall and then Mr. Olsen’s office, but this time the light was red, so Beat sent Robert a text. When he opened the door, he didn’t look happy.

“Are you sure about this?”

Beat shook his head and answered as he and Jeff walked in “No, not really. Jeff can you give us a minute?”

Jeff walked over and sat in a chair across the room that gave him visual access to everything. The office was the control center for the surrounding practice rooms, which were actually separate mini-recording studios. Beat and Mr. Motta were talking off to the side of Mr. Olsen, who was sitting behind a giant mixing board and Blaine was on a television screen in front of him. He was in one of the practice rooms, sitting on a stool with his acoustic guitar. He looked like hell. In fact, so bad that Jeff had to ask himself…

Were we wrong? Did Blaine and Sebastian break-up?

Before he could consider his own questions, Blaine began to sing.

 _You took my hand_  
_You showed me how_  
_You promised me you'd be around_  
_Uh huh_  
_That's right_

 _I took your words_  
_And I believed_  
_In everything_  
_You said to me_  
_Yeah huh_  
_That's right_

 _If someone said three years from now_  
_You'd be long gone_  
_I'd stand up and punch them out_  
_Cause they're all wrong_

Three years ago? That’s not Sebastian, he only came…Holy Shit! Is this about Kurt? Maybe I don’t want to know.

 _I know better_  
_Cause you said forever_  
_And ever_  
_Who knew_

 _Remember when we were such fools_  
_And so convinced and just too cool_  
_Oh no_  
_No no_

 _I wish I could touch you again_  
_I wish I could still call you friend_  
_I'd give anything_

It looks like Mr. Motta and Beat have it figured out…and they don’t look happy about it.

 _When someone said count your blessings now_  
_'fore they're long gone_  
_I guess I just didn't know how_  
_I was all wrong_

 _They knew better_  
_Still you said forever_  
_And ever_  
_Who knew_

They knew better? Are we back to Sebastian? When people at McKinley told Blaine to stay away from him?

 _I'll keep you locked in my head_  
_Until we meet again_  
_Until we, until we meet again_

 _And I won't forget you my friend_  
_What happened_

Forget you? That’s not Sebastian. There’s no way a person would forget Sebastian Smythe.

 _If someone said three years from now_  
_You'd be long gone_  
_I'd stand up and punch them out_  
_Cause they're all wrong_

Oh, wow…that was beautiful, even if Blaine’s talking about punching someone. Wait, is this about the end of Fight Club? That might actually make some weird sort of sense.

 _And time makes_  
_It harder_  
_I wish I could remember_  
_But I keep_  
_Your memory_  
_You visit me in my sleep_

Jeff stopped running scenarios through his head. None of them would be right anyway, he told himself. He finally realized why Beat had made the red pill/blue reference. This song was about the red pill, whatever that was.

 _My darling_  
_My darling_  
_I miss you_  
_My darling_  
_Who knew_

When the song finished, Mr. Olsen hit a few buttons on the mixing board and then gave a nod, which was obviously a sign that it was fine to open the door. When Beat opened it and left, two men Jeff recognized but didn’t know came into the room.

“Thank you for getting here so quickly. Cooper told me you both had a long night” Robert said to them. “Cam, how hard is it going to be to get him out of here?”

“There’s no way out that doesn’t take us back into the main hall unless we crawl through a window. People are going to see he’s upset.”

“That’s ok” Jeff didn’t know why the hell he blurted that out, but now all eyes were on him. “Everyone thinks he and Sebastian broke-up. They expect Blaine to be upset.”

“Uh, they didn’t break-up” the yet-to-be-named second man said. “When I talked to Xavier this morning, he would have mentioned that.”

Robert’s phone went off yet again, this time it was Blaine’s mother “Pammy, he’s going to be ok. The guys are taking him back to your house and Cam will stay with him while I take care of a few things…Pam…Pam…Pam, stop. Give me one hour and I’ll call you back…Pam…Pam! I know you’re upset, but you know I love Blaine like he was my son…Yes, one hour…Ok, bye.”

After the call ended, Robert took a fraction of a second to say a silent prayer to his late wife. Cory would have known what to do. She and Blaine had a special bond, much like the one Sugar has with him now. Sometimes he missed his wife so badly that he couldn’t think of anything but the pain, but this couldn’t be one of those times. Pam was in New York, Charles was in Detroit and Cooper didn’t know the whole story. This was on him.

“Ok, this is what’s happening. Cam go help Beat with Blaine and get him out of here. Jeff, this is Daniel. He’s taking you back to your house and your dad is meeting you there. Your deposition isn’t until Thursday, correct?”

“Yes, but…”

“Any other Warblers?”

“Just Trent. And Luka and Steph, but you probably know them as the Cello brothers. They’re not Warblers, but…”

“They’ve worked with you. Thanks, and Jeff, don’t say anything to anyone. Not even any of the guys if you see them.”

Daniel motioned for Jeff to come with him. Once they were gone Robert went to leave as well, only to be stopped by Mr. Olsen “Excuse me, Mr. Motta? You are Blaine’s uncle as well as his lawyer, correct?”

Robert was about to brush him off but something changed his mind “Yes, is there a problem?”

“No, the exact opposite, at least I hope.” Mr. Olsen closed his door and turned on the red light “What do you know about the staff here at Dalton?”

“I don’t understand.”

“Mr. Motta, every staff member here goes through extensive background checks which were all updated after what happened with our former headmaster.”

“And?”

“Working at Dalton is a dream for any educator. Not only do we have highly motivated students with minimal behavioral issues, we are paid five times the average teacher’s salary. However, for this privilege we sign a very extensive confidentiality agreement.”

“Is this your way of assuring me you won’t talk about what just happened?”

Mr. Olsen walked to his desk and pulled a file out of the top drawer “No, that was my way of saying I won’t talk about this.”

Robert took the file, but was confused by the contents “This is a song. I’m assuming Blaine wrote it.”

“Have you heard about the project we assigned Blaine to write a song in Italian?”

“Yes, but this is English.”

“Go to the third page.” Mr. Olsen waited until Robert gave him the expression he expected “When we gave Blaine the assignment, Miss Bello and I expected a basic lullaby. Something along the lines of _Mary had a little Lamb_ since Blaine is in Year 1 Italian.”

“Are you insinuating he had someone write this for him?”

“Quite the opposite. I’m 100% sure Blaine wrote that, but Mr. Motta, I’m not only talking about the Italian. The arrangement on that…let’s just say it’s above my pay grade. If we wanted Blaine to perform that song, the OSU Symphonic Orchestra would have to be brought in but I have doubts they would be able to handle the nuances of the piece.”

“I can’t read music, but I’m fluent in Italian and the translation is flawless. I thought he was struggling with this.”

“As of last week, he was. Also, from a few things Blaine said to me before you arrived, I’m pretty sure he wrote _Who Knew_ in less than10 hours.” Mr. Olsen went to the mixing board and brought back a down load from earlier “Mr. Motta, I’ve never seen anything like this. Blaine is in the midst of something quite remarkable and he most likely has no idea what’s happening.”

Ninety minutes later, Robert was sitting in the Anderson’s kitchen trying to figure out his next move. This day had taken twists and turns he never expected, most of which he had been ill-equipped to navigate. His immediate concern was bringing in someone who could help with Blaine and the five other Dalton boys that were going to stay there for the next few days. He didn’t know much about teen-age boys other than Blaine (thankfully his wife had been around for Cooper’s teen-age years). The one thing he did know was that they liked to eat…a lot. He had no option, he told himself as he made a call to the one person he knew could handle the situation “Hello, Rosa? I know I gave you the week off to visit your sister in Columbus, but I have an emergency. No, it’s not Sugar…it’s Blaine.”

Meanwhile at the Smythe house, Xavier was attempting to send out texts and watch his granddaughter at the same time. Fortunately, he had remembered something she enjoyed that was keeping her entertained.

 _Don’t you want me baby?_  
_Don’t you want me, oh._

“Your Uncle Sebastian would never let me hear the end of it if he knew I was keeping you happy by playing Blaine’s video” he told Izzy.

“Buh” she said as she waved her arms at the screen.

“Oh, no. Your mommy is having a bad enough time without your first word being Blaine.”

“What about Blaine?” Sebastian asked as he came into his dad’s office.

“I think your niece has a crush on him.”

Sebastian picked the baby up from her bouncy seat “Sorry, Izzy-wizzy. You are not my boyfriend’s type.”

“So, Blaine is still your boyfriend?”

“What kind of stupid question is that?” Sebastian snapped at his father, only to immediately apologize for his tone.

“Sit down, Sebastian.”

He didn’t know what he expected, but when Sebastian heard what had happened at Dalton in his absence…well, it was a good thing Izzy was there. “Are they seriously calling it the Sebreak?”

“Yes, and there has been quite the concern for your safety since Blaine’s Uncle Al showed up” Xavier joked, trying to lighten the mood.

“I better call B and see how he wants to fix this. He’ll probably want to sing something.”

“Sorry, son. You can’t talk with Blaine or anyone else for that matter. There’s a problem with the depositions.”

Xavier told Sebastian the _technically I’m not lying_ version of what happened that morning…No one could find Blaine to stop the rumors. He was in a practice room and had stayed up all night writing. He was in no condition to give his deposition so Al got Blaine and (for some unknown reason) Beat moved to Thursday. The problem that developed was, due to the change Dalton’s lawyers decided they wanted students separated by date of their deposition. To make a long story short, it would be late Thursday at the earliest before either Blaine or Sebastian could get back to Dalton and put a stop to the crazy.

“This is bullshit, Dad. Thad and Nick are still at Dalton. Let me call them and they can clear this up.”

“Sebastian…”

“I…” It was then he remembered that he was still holding a now sleeping, Izzy. He carefully walked over and laid her down in her portable crib “Dad, this story can’t be out there.”

Xavier went to Sebastian moved him to couch on the opposite wall. When they sat down, he put his arm around his son’s shoulders and pulled him close like he used to do when he was a little boy “I heard the people that truly know you and Blaine don’t believe the rumor.”

“It’s not them I’m worried about” Sebastian mumbled as he dropped his head to his dad’s shoulder.

“Please tell me you’re not talking about Blaine’s ex.”

“I can’t help it, Dad. Something happened at that wedding reception on Valentine’s Day and I don’t have a good feeling about it.” That admission started a conversation that was probably long over-due. They covered several topics but when the conversation turned to his mother, Sebastian realized that he hadn’t seen either her or his sister that day. “Where’s mom and Sierra? Getting in some mother/daughter time before Sierra takes Izzy back to Paris?”

“They’re actually at my office with one of my partners…Mr. May.”

“But Mr. May is a divorce… Dad? Seriously? Is Sis ok? And why is she talking to a lawyer here and not one in France? Or Italy, where they were married?”

“You haven’t called your sister Sis in a long time. She’ll like that. And as far as what’s happening with the very rapid demise of her marriage, that is for Sierra to tell you. I will say she is filing here to put an immediate freeze on certain assets.”

“That Son of a…”

“Sebastian, no matter what, Antonio is Isabella’s father.”

“Fine, but I don’t like the idea of the two of them in Paris alone, especially with Julien knowing where they are. You need to call Cooper.”

“I’ve already called and Dmitri is going to Paris with Sierra to help her pack. You’ll be happy to hear that your sister has taken the job as Director of Baby Dior and she and Izzy are moving to New York City.”

Like she knew they were talking about her, Izzy woke up and began making all sorts of happy baby noises. Sebastian took her in his arms and began dancing around the room “Izzy-wizzy! You’re not leaving me!” Their celebration was halted by a distinctive odor “Let’s go change that diaper and we can talk about all of the fun things we can do together in New York. We can go to the park, and ballet, and museums, and the petting zoo, and I can teach you how to play soccer…”

Back at the Andersons things were beginning to settle down, except in the kitchen. Rosa was definitely in charge, but when she learned that she had six boys and assorted adults to feed, she called in _The_ _Troops_. And when Rosa called…you come running.

“Daniel…Cam… can ya’ll come on over? Now, looky here. I know I told you boys that I needed sweet butter and whole milk. I can’t make proper grits without sweet butter and whole milk. You wouldn’t want me to go and make improper grits, now would you?”

“No, Ma’am.” The two body guards may have been Navy Seals, but neither was embarrassed to admit the tiny, 60 year-old woman scared them.

“Good. Cam go get this fixed. Daniel, Cooper said you need to go back to Blainey’s handsome boyfriend’s house and meet Dmitri. Don’t worry bout me. Ralphie will be here soon with that Puck fellow. Cooper’s sendin’ up some food from that fancy new place of his.”

“I don’t think anyone has ever called Breadstix fancy, and for the record, your fettucine alfredo is much better” Blaine said as he came in and gave Rosa a kiss on the cheek. “If anyone is going back to the store, can we get some popcorn and candy? We prisoners are having a movie night tonight.”

“Blaine Anderson, you and your friends are not eatin’ that junk while I’m here. I’ll come up with somethin’.”

Before Blaine could respond, Puck came through the back door carrying a stack of pizzas “Where do you want these, Anderson?”

Rosa turned around and snapped her kitchen towel on Puck’s ass “And what makes you think Blainey is goin’ know what to do? You come on with me. Daniel, you help Ralphie get the rest before you go. And ya’ll” she stopped and pointed at Blaine and Cam “Go on and talk. But Cameron Murphy, don’t you go and tell Blainey you’ll sneak him that crap food ‘cause I will know.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Once Rosa had headed off to give the others their marching orders, Cam asked Blaine “How are you doing? You really freaked out your uncle this morning.”

“I know and now Jeff is involved, which I never wanted to happen. Really, I’m ok. If it makes you feel better, Doc’s coming here in an hour.”

“Good, that does make me feel better. Has Jeff asked a lot of questions?”

“He hasn’t asked any that I know of, but I’ve been with Luka cramming for the AP Bio exam we’re taking in the morning.”

“How?”

“Dalton’s sending a proctor.”

“And someone was going to tell me this when?” Cam asked sarcastically before pulling out his phone to check a text he had received “Your mom’s plane landed and she should be here soon. Uh-oh, General Rosa is back. I better go. Don’t worry I’ll try to get the contraband.”

“You are a very brave man. Or stupid, I’ll decide later.”

“Did he say your mom would be here soon?” Puck asked as Cam left.

“Puck, your cougar-crush on my mom is beyond creepy.”

“I am who I am, and your mom…”

“Stop! I may not be able to punch people anymore, but I will make an exception. Now do me a favor before you go and take a picture of Rosa with the bags of grits and send it to Sam. It will drive him crazy.”

“That boy knows his grits” Rosa smiled as she picked up one of the bags.

“Why don’t you just do it?”

“Because when we were trapped here, our phones were confiscated.”

Puck showed Blaine the picture then sent it “Well, at least you’ll be eating good.”

Blaine walked around the work station and gave Rosa a side hug “I know I’ve complained a lot, but thank you for doing this. Uncle Robert told me he had given you the week off to visit your sister.”

“Oh, don’t worry, honey. I’m glad he called. I love my sister, but that grandson of hers dropped in and I could only take so much. I swear Chandler is the most annoying child that ever walked the planet. I was thankful for the excuse to leave.”

Blaine and Puck looked at each other, playing a game of _Did you hear what I just heard_? The both of them had only ever known of two Chandlers and one of them had been a character on a television show.

“Rosa, you’ve never said anything about Chandler.” Blaine tried to be subtle. Sugar and her dad had been out of town when the _Texting isn’t cheating/Alpha Gay_ debacle happened, but Rosa had been there for him.

“There’s not much to say, he’s…” Finally, she figured out what Blaine was hinting at “Well, if I didn’t know your ex was dumb as fuck before, I sure as hell do now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who Knew: Alecia Moore, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin 2006
> 
> I would NEVER use Wikipedia as a source (especially since I basically tell people not to do that for a living), but they had the best explanation of red pill/blue pill: The red pill and its opposite, the blue pill, are popular culture symbols representing the choice between embracing the sometimes painful truth of reality (red pill) and the blissful ignorance of illusion (blue pill).


	39. Stress Relief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine finds ways to help Sebastian get through his Deposition Day, even though they are still apart. Meanwhile, Cooper deals with the guilt from his past relationship with Blaine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: With the events of this week, I felt it necessary to state that the character of Puck is in this chapter

5:04 AM. Sebastian groaned when he saw the time. It was too early to start the day, but his brain wouldn’t shut off. His deposition was in six hours and he had no idea how he was supposed to find out whether or not Hunter told the DA about Kurt’s involvement in what happened at Dalton. He hadn’t thought that far ahead when he devised the plan and probably should have asked Sam for help. Blaine said that the Blonde Chameleon was always the one with an exit strategy.

5:07 AM. Fuck! He rolled onto his side and propped himself up on his elbow, not to get out of bed, just turn on his bed-side lamp.

Pre-Seblaine Sebastian Smythe loved photography but always took photographs, not pictures. Now pictures were everywhere in his room. Pictures of his family, his friends but mostly Blaine…with Izzy a semi-close second. Four of these pictures were framed and had a place of honor on his night table. The first, Sierra took of him asleep on the couch with Izzy on his chest. The second was one he took of Blaine and Sam, who was in his BDSM Angel outfit. The third was courtesy of the cameras set up at the Sugar Shack, taken right at the end of _In Your Eyes_ as the balloons fell. It was a great picture, but not his favorite.

Sebastian picked up that frame and laid back down. He had no idea at the time why he brought his good camera when he and Thad stayed at Blaine’s over Thanksgiving, but he did figure it out later. It was so he would have this picture. It was of Blaine playing football after breakfast, about two hours after they had become boyfriends. His hair was a mess because Cooper had just pulled off his hat, but he didn’t seem to care. His nose was red and there was dirt on his face, but his eyes were glistening and his smile was blinding.

He was so beautiful...Blaine, and not just in that picture.

Thinking about Thanksgiving put him in the mood to hear _You+Me_ , so he grabbed his special I-Pod and headphones out of the drawer. However, when he turned the I-Pod on he saw a new download with the title…

_Sebreak_

Huh? 

_Hey, Bas. Aren’t you glad I had Doug set up that program so I (well, he) could download files onto your I-Pod from anywhere? Anyway, I wanted to send you a message even though I heard a rumor that we broke-up. Although, if we have broken-up then I probably shouldn’t say that I love you and I know you’ll do great today with your deposition. And I probably shouldn’t say how you have such a big heart and how amazing, but stupid, it was that you kept the guys away from the fall-out of what happened with me last year. But I will say that today is not the day to deal with that regret. To paraphrase the one and only Miss Santana Lopez, today is the day to go all Lima Heights on their asses, whatever the hell that means._

_That’s what I would say if I could. I better stop talking since I’m supposed to be in here recording. I just thought I would send you a song telling you how sad I am about the Sebreak (*sound of laughter*). I didn’t have time to write something, but I thought Phil could help._

_How can I just let you walk away_  
_Just let you leave without a trace_  
_When I stand here taking_  
_Every breath with you_

 _You're the only one_  
_Who really knew me at all_

“No B… _You're the only one who really knew me at all"_ Sebastian sang to the picture. As he listened to Blaine, he felt all of his anxiety leave his body. So much so, the next thing he knew the alarm he set for 7:30AM was going off. He got out of bed and changed into a pair of sweats and headed downstairs.

His plan was to eat breakfast and then get ready for court. Once he got downstairs, he immediately knew something was off. There were these wonderful smells drawing him to the kitchen and cooking wasn’t his mother’s forte (that was putting it nicely) and his dad should be at the courthouse. Sierra could cook, but only French Cuisine, nothing else. She had tried to make him a grilled cheese sandwich the other day. The fire department was almost called.

However, reaching his destination only brought new questions. “Rosa? What are you doing here?” To say he was surprised to see the Motta’s _Angel_ , as they liked to call her, was a massive understatement.

She pulled a note out of the pocket of her apron and went back to feeding grits to a very happy Izzy “Blainey asked that I bring some breakfast to you for your big day. Said it was your favorite thing. And while I was waitin’ on you, I got to talkin’ with your Sissy and this lil’ pumpkin’ here.”

Sebastian opened his note and for the second time that morning he was reminded how lucky he was to have Blaine in his life…

_It’s not the same breakfast you would get from that greasy-spoon diner you love so much, but Rosa cooks with A LOT of real butter and sausage fat. I love you, B._

“Sebastian…Sebastian!” He finally looked up from his note to see his exhausted sister trying to get his attention. “Please tell me that says we get to keep Rosa.”

He walked over behind Sierra and wrapped his arms around her. She obviously needed it “Sorry, Sis. Rosa’s heart belongs to the Motta’s. And since when does Izzy eat solid food?”

“Oh, come on, Sebby. You know no one can resist my grits. Even Sammy wolfs them down and that boy is the pickiest eater I ever saw. And don’t you worry, Miss Sierra. I’ll be leavin’ more than enough for your baby girl. I’m tellin’ you, feed her just about a quarter cup before bed and she’ll be sleepin’ through the night in no time at all.”

Feeling his sister slump in a sign of defeat, Sebastian leaned down to her ear and whispered “Don’t worry, Sis. We’ll think of something.”

While Sebastian was sitting down to breakfast, Sugar was answering her front door. “Thanks for coming. I didn’t want to leave him alone.”

“You did the right thing, Sugar” Holly told her. She had already been concerned about Cooper. He never called her last night when he got back from his parents’ house. “You better get to school.”

“Will we see you at Glee this afternoon?”

“You know it girl. Sam had Principal Sylvester hire me for the week.” Sugar gave her a kiss on the cheek before giving directions of where to find Copper and then heading out the door. Holly went upstairs and found her boyfriend in what had to be Blaine’s room “Hey, stranger.”

“Sugar call you?” Cooper asked without turning around in his chair.

Holly walked around him and sat on the bed “She was worried. Did you get to talk to Blaine?”

“Remember when I told you how I had been a horrible brother to Blaine? How one of the main reasons I moved back to Ohio was to make it up to him? I found out yesterday that’s never going to happen.”

“You don’t know that” Holly told him. She reached for his hand, but he pulled away from her “Talk to me, Cooper.”

“When I got to my parents’ house, Mom and Blaine’s shrink took me to my Dad’s office to talk. Blaine had given them permission to tell me what really happened when he was attacked.”

“I don’t understand. What didn’t you know?”

“Pretty much everything. I was so fucking full of myself back then. I didn’t even bother to show up until three days later and bitched the whole time because I was there instead of at an audition for a guest spot on _Law and Order_. He was in a fucking coma, Holly, and the minute he woke up I was on a plane back to LA. Didn’t even stick around to find out if he was ok. I mean he was awake. What could be wrong?” Holly reached for his hand again and this time he didn’t pull away. “I’m sorry, I wish I could say more but…”

“I understand.” She really did. Blaine meant everything to Cooper and it was obvious that whatever he found out was tearing him up inside. “Are you going to be able to go into the restaurant this morning? Both Dmitri and Puck were looking for you yesterday. And honey, after what you just told me, you’re going to want to talk to Puck.”

Holly didn’t give him a chance to brush it off. She pulled her phone out of her purse, found the number and handed it to Cooper “Hey, Puck…Yeah, Holly didn’t really give me a chance to say no. What’s so important?” Suddenly, he sat up straighter and then broke out his best _I was once in a toothpaste commercial_ smile “Are you shitting me?...Seriously?...Puck, you better not…And Blaine knows this?...What did Finn say?...Son of a Bitch!...No, Son of a Bitch in a good way…Ok, can you and Finn meet me at Breadstix in one…” Cooper stopped and smiled at his extremely sexy girlfriend “Make that two hours?…Yeah, see you guys then. And Puck, there’s something important I want to talk to the two of you about.”

It took another minute before his call was over, but when it was Cooper tossed Holly’s phone aside and sprung forward, pinning her back onto the bed with a kiss that took her breath away. Before they could give into their feelings, Cooper stood, pulling his girlfriend up with him “I plan on showing you just how thankful I am but I’m not going to do it where my baby brother and his boyfriend do…” Holly didn’t make him finish the thought.

Even though he had given himself a cushion, Cooper barely made it to Breadstix in his two hour time frame. Puck and Finn were already at a booth waiting for him, and so was Dmitri who he called after he and Holly had showered (among other things). Dmitri spoke first, but Finn interrupted him before he got too far along in his story.

“Sebastian’s sister? You mean the one that works for Dior in Paris?” he asked.

“How would you know that?” Dmitri asked in return.

“Kurt is _obsessed_ with her. Back when he was blackmailing Blaine and Sebastian, he actually had an argument with Sebastian on whether or not he had a sister. Once Kurt realized that he did and who she was, she was all he would talk about. It’s gotten better since his focus has turned back to Blaine, but I’m pretty sure he has a small shrine to her in his room.”

Cooper and Dmitri looked at each other and then gave nods of agreement. From what Puck had told Cooper earlier and what Finn just added, they knew they had made the right decisions. They just hoped their offers would be accepted.

While Cooper shocked Puck and Finn with his plan, Sebastian and Xavier were in a holding room at the courthouse. Sebastian was drinking a coffee and listening to his father’s end of a conversation with Blaine’s uncle. He hoped to hear information about Blaine, but if he was being honest, he was actually trying not to fixate on the fact he still hadn’t heard from Hunter.

“Al, I can’t let you do that…Al…Yes, I’ve met your nephew and he can be very persuasive…Hold on.” Xavier turned his attention to his son “Since all the guys that are giving their depositions tomorrow are at the Andersons and Sierra’s plans are on hold, do you want to go back to Dalton when you’re done here?”

“I probably should go help with lacrosse practice after eating that breakfast this morning. I’ll have to go home and get some stuff, but yeah, if it’s ok.”

Xavier nodded and went back to his phone conversation “We’d love to come…No, I’m going to let you three tell her. Al, I can’t thank you enough for this…Ok, I will…6PM…And Al, do you know how Blaine’s biology exam is going?...They are?...They are, huh?...Good luck with that…Bye.”

The moment Xavier put down his phone, his son’s questions began. “What’s going on? How did B’s exam go? Why are you going to see Robert…”

“Whoa, son…one at a time. First, Blaine and Luka are done with their Biology exam and both said they believed it went well.”

“Luka? As in the Cello brothers, Luka? Why is he there? He and Steph have diplomatic immunity because their dad is the Ambassador from Croatia.”

“Both of the brothers are there because a question about their immunity came up. It’s been cleared and they were going to leave after the exam, but evidently they are part of some secret project all of the boys in the house are working on.”

“My guess is with who’s there, Blaine has roped them into working on something for Nationals. Speaking of Blaine, can I tell everyone that the Sebreak wasn’t real?”

“No” Sebastian was about to protest, but his dad held up his hand as a sign for him to stop. “You can tell Thad and Nick, and you better call Wes and Santana. Cooper is letting Sam know. They’ve been able to keep it from Sugar. Oh, and Trent’s brother knows for some reason if that helps. For everyone else, you need to wait for Blaine. He has a plan. Maybe that’s what the guys are working on?”

He should have known Blaine would have a… “Wait, I can understand Sam hearing about the Sebreak but Wes and Santana are in New York.”

“Yes, and Santana said, and I quote _If I didn’t need his Disney prince ass for this photo shoot, I would be on the next plane to Ohio, kick that fucking Meerkat Warbler in the balls and then really hurt him_. I take it she’s Blaine’s friend that asked you two and Sam to do the photo shoot at Teen Vogue.”

“Blaine’s scarily overprotective best girl. Maybe I really do need Daniel to come with me to New York.” That was good for a laugh. Even though Sebastian had agreed to having a body guard when he went to Columbia, he was still getting use to the idea.

“He was already going. Before you say anything, think about it Sebastian. You are going to be in an international magazine. From what Sierra told me, she arranged for you to be dressed exclusively in Dior. It wouldn’t take much for Julien to put things together if he sees the photos. Daniel needs to know what is going out before it goes to print. We agreed to this because it’s helping Sam, but you had to know we’d…ok, your mother, would be uneasy about it.”

“I thought you talked to Blaine’s godmother?”

“I did and she was everything I anticipated her to be. She assured me Daniel would get full cooperation. Can I ask…do you know how she became Blaine’s godmother?”

“Bonnie, his mother’s mother, she was the Vanderbilt and a bit of a wild child. Her parents shipped her off to a boarding school in England where they met and became instant besties. They dropped out and became party girls in London until Bonnie’s parents found her and drug her back to the states. They never lost touch but when _she_ moved to New York, Bonanna was back.”

“Bonanna?”

“Sam has a thing for portmanteau names. Anyway, a couple of months before Blaine was born his grandmother was killed in a car crash. At the service, _she_ went to Mr. and Mrs. A and asked what the baby’s name was going to be. They told her Christopher Devon, you know C like Charles and Cooper. She told them no, they could keep Devon but the first name would be Blaine and she was going to be his godmother. That was that, although it is kind of funny that _she_ calls him Charming which begins with a C. Now, you want to tell me why you were thanking Robert?”

“I think Blaine should tell you.”

“Dad…”

“Ok, but you can’t tell your sister. Rosa told Blaine about her visit and then they went to Al who called Sugar who reluctantly agreed. Rosa is offering to go New York with Sierra and that way she could look after Izzy, Blaine, and the rest of you boys, too…Rosa’ words, not mine. Her sister would go live with the Motta’s, and work for them part-time since they don’t need help like they used to. Plus, her daughter actually lives in Lima so it will be easier to visit. We’re all going to the Andersons for dinner and Blaine and Rosa are going to ask Sierra if that would be ok with her.”

It was a good thing Sebastian had just finished his coffee because he dropped his cup. For the third time that day he was reminded how lucky he was to have Blaine in his life. He hadn’t had time to stress over what happened that morning, but had planned to once his deposition was over. He began to imagine how happy Sierra would be when he was interrupted by a clerk coming into the room and giving his dad a folder. Xavier pulled out some legal documents, then slid the envelope on top across the table.

As he read the note inside, Sebastian couldn’t help but smile. He was ready to give his deposition.

_I held up my end of our deal. Your turn._

His deposition was brutal. Sebastian was the star witness for Dalton, and neither the former Head Master’s or Hunter’s lawyers held back on their attempts to discredit him even though they were only supposed to be there to observe. Things got so bad that a mediator had to be brought in, but Sebastian held up his part of his deal with Hunter. He explained everything he knew as it related to Dalton and kept his former roommate’s extracurriculars to himself. It was worth it to have Hunter’s testimony about Kurt’s involvement on the record.

Things took so long that he couldn’t make it back to Dalton for lacrosse. Sebastian had decided to just stay home for the night when his dad handed him his phone “It’s Thad.”

Ok? “Hey, Thad. What’s going on?”

“Seb, where are you? I’m guessing you’re done since we’re talking.”

“Yeah, I’m leaving the courthouse. I was going to go home…”

“No! You need to get here ASAP.”

“Why?”

“Will you not question something for once? Meet us in Blaine’s room no later than 4:30PM.”

“Hello? Harwood? He hung up on me” Sebastian said as he handed his dad back his phone. “Do you know what’s going on?”

“No idea. Oh look, your mom is here.”

Sure enough, Sebastian’s mom was standing next to his dad’s car…and his? “How did my car get here?”

“I drove it here, my Darling Boy” Juliette laughed as she kissed her son’s cheeks and handed him his keys. “Your laundry and special I-Pod are in the back seat. Oh, and here…” She reached into her purse and pulled out his phone “You’ve probably been missing this. It is charged, and I promise I did not try to open it.”

Sebastian held firm to not show his panic, although it was late in coming. First of all, he was extremely happy he left his I-Pod on top of his night table and had not put it back in the drawer (with his lube and porn). He was going to have to find a better hiding place. And talk to his mom about respecting privacy. Then, when his parents took his phone, he was so pissed at his loss of communication he forgot all about the pictures that were stored there. Pictures of Blaine, and himself, that his mother could never…ever…ever…ever see. “Thanks Mom” he managed to say without adding a sigh of relief.

His parents were so insistent that he go, Sebastian didn’t argue and soon found himself back at Dalton. As he walked toward his room, he could tell guys were dying to talk to him so he made sure his glare kept them away. He didn’t want to deal with any non-existent Sebreak issues at the moment. He was too focused on finding out what the hell was going on.

After dumping his stuff on his bed and a quick change out of his suit, he went and knocked on Blaine’s door. “Cutting it close, Smythe. Get your laptop turned on and go to your email” Nick said as he pulled Sebastian in and locked the door.

“What the fuck is going on?” Sebastian asked, but no one answered. Doug was at Blaine’s desk and he had both Blaine’s and Beat’s computers running, with all sorts of other electronics connecting them. Nick and Thad had their laptops in front of them and Thad was on the phone with…Mike?

“Yeah…Just click on the link we sent in the email. You can go now but it’s happening at 4:30PM…You’ll be able to see it on the actual sight, but the link will send you to the page where just the FOWs can comment. You got it?...Great…Oh, ok. Tell Puck I said hi.”

Why wasn’t anyone paying attention to him? “Hello! What the fuck is going on?” Sebastian thought maybe if he yelled the question they would answer.

Thad looked up from his laptop “Your boyfriend is what happened. Wait, it’s true right? Wes said the Sebreak never happened.”

“Never happened. Go on.” Sebastian sat on Blaine’s bed and turned on his laptop hoping he could get some information there.

“Blaine got pissed that show choir website only had Throat Explosion’s video up, so he and the other guys at his house made one to replace it.”

“And how…never mind.” Well, that explained the super computer Doug had pieced together. Sebastian finally got to his email “What’s FOW?”

“Friends of Warblers. We sent texts to certain people and it directs them like I told Mike about. Now, hurry.”

Sebastian got the site opened just in time to see Throat Explosion’s video go to static and replaced with one of the guys in Blaine’s music room. "How is this possible? Aren't they on lockdown?"

"I went over earlier and filmed it...don't ask" Doug told him. "And Sebastian, I'll get you the just Blaine version later."

There was no doubt what Doug meant. Jeff and Luka had electric guitars, Beat was at a keyboard, Steph had a bass, but as expected, Sebastian's eyes went straight to Blaine who was sitting behind the drums. He was wearing a white tank that showed off his amazingly toned arms, his curls were loose and he had a wicked, wicked grin on his face “Oh, shit. This is going to be good. B’s in full on Wolverine mode.”

“Quiet” Doug hissed. “Trent’s about to begin.”

_Hello. We are bringing you this video to prove once and for all that guys can be Divas too. So, to demonstrate and in keeping with the theme of this year’s Nationals, we have chosen a Diva from the 1980s. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Dalton Academy Warblers are proud to introduce the band Stress Relief._

_Last night a little dancer came dancin' to my door_  
_Last night a little angel came pumping on the floor_  
_She said "Come on baby I got a license for love_  
_And if it expires pray help from above"_  
_Because_

 _In the midnight hour she cried- "more, more, more"_  
_With a rebel yell she cried- "more, more, more"_  
_In the midnight hour babe- "more, more, more"_  
_With a rebel yell- "more, more, more"_  
_More, more, more._

“Ok, I guess I get to be Blaine here” Nick said as the rest of the guys were laughing at comments from Santana, David, Sam and surprisingly Quinn. “Don’t they know the lyrics are about a girl in the middle of an orgasm?”

Sebastian began to laugh harder “Oh, I’m sure they do. And Duval, Jeff’s singing and your sister is watching.”

As he continued to watch the video, Sebastian wondered if Blaine had something to do with the band’s name, Stress Relief. All of the stress he had endured during his deposition was long forgotten. He was too busy having fun commenting with his friends while at the same time having dirty, dirty thoughts about Blaine _beating_ on the drums. For the fourth time that day he was reminded how lucky he was to have Blaine in his life.

When the song ended, the screen went to static again and then Throat Explosion’s video reappeared. Doug sent out a quick reminder that if the video was watched on site they were commenting on, it was saved to their hard drive. Sebastian, Thad and Nick continued on, but Doug was watching the actual website’s message board until…

“Yes!”

“What’s going on?” Sebastian asked as he and the others got up and walked over to Doug.

“Look” Doug pointed to a particular comment… _Well played Warblers. Challenge accepted—JB_ “That’s Jean-Baptist, lead vocalist of Throat Explosion. Blaine was hoping for this.” Doug stopped his explanation to answer his phone “Hey, Unique. Did you see it?...You’re kidding…What’s the title?...Are you serious?...I’m with Sebastian. Tell Sam I’ll let him know…Thanks. Bye.”

“What did Unique want?”

Doug didn’t answer verbally, but typed in the information Unique gave him. In less than a minute he had the video of the guys pulled up on YouTube. “This isn’t good. Blaine didn’t say anything, even though he’s co-captain, because he didn’t want people figuring out his connection to Julliard. I don’t think he ever imagined this.”

Sebastian understood what Doug was trying to tell them. Although he was surprised at how fast it happened, he wasn’t surprised the video was on YouTube. It was the title that pissed him off.

_Rebel Yell by Stress Relief with sexy Sugar Shack guy, Blaine Anderson, on drums_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea if the things I have do Doug with his computer are realistic. But, he did say once that he wanted to be a Cyber Criminal (jokingly) and they seem to be able to do a lot of things I wouldn’t believe possible. Let’s just say Sebastian’s hatred of his Computer Science class/project mirrors my own. 
> 
> Against All Odds: Phil Collins 1999  
> It was extremely hard for me to use Against All Odds here because to me this is The Blam song, but it was the one I kept coming back to.
> 
> Rebel Yell: Billy Idol, Steve Stevens, William Broad 1983


	40. Meanwhile in Lima

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Events at Dalton have far reaching effects, especially for Kurt who learns some truths he’s not ready to believe.

_Rebel Yell by Stress Relief with sexy Sugar Shack guy, Blaine Anderson, on drums_

Sam looked around the room and saw the effect the video had on his Glee Club. He needed to get their heads back in the game. “Ok, listen up guys. No matter what the title says, that video wasn’t about Blaine. It was a throw down from the Warblers saying _Here we are. What are you going to do about it_? So, what are we going to do about it?”

“But they played the video over the Throat Explosion video” Brittany reminded him. “That wasn’t for us.”

Holly jumped in. “Yes, it was, Britt. That web site is the #1 Show Choir blog in the country and they have been pumping up Throat Explosion as The New New Directions. The outsiders that will come in, kick butt and walk away with the trophy. The Warblers just told everyone _Fuck that!_ Oops, sorry. _Screw that! We’re the Warblers and we’re the ones that are kicking butt!”_

“Great! We’re screwed” Ryder grumbled. “Why are we even trying so hard to win Regionals?”

This time Holly stepped back. She knew Sam had to be the one to bring them in. “We’re trying hard because that’s what we have to do to win Nationals. Yes, I said Nationals. I know sometimes we, hell I, don’t believe we deserve to go but that doesn’t matter anymore. When we perform on Saturday, it won’t just be to win, which we will. Saturday will be our video. It’s what the Warblers and Throat Explosion and whoever else are going to watch and ask _How the hell are we supposed to beat that?_ We don’t have to be the New New Directions because we are THE New Directions, defending National Champions. It’s about time we started acting that way.”

Suddenly, everyone felt the need to go back to the auditorium and do one more run through before leaving. Sam stopped a moment, closed his eyes and took a breath, thankful he had been able to pull that speech out of his ass. Maybe he had heard a few too many football coaches give rah-rah halftime speeches. When he opened his eyes, he was surprised to find he wasn’t alone.

“Sammy, when are you going to tell everyone you won’t be here the week we come back from Spring Break? By the way, have you heard anything from Santana about what you’re wearing in the photo shoot?”

“If that was your way of asking if I’ll be wearing Abercrombie in my casual shots and that they want to sign me as one of their models, yes, she told me.”

Brittany grabbed his hands and began to bounce with excitement. “How are you keeping this a secret?”

“My family knows, but I haven’t been able to talk to Blaine. He went into lockdown before I found out. I feel like I at least owe him that, you know. None of this would be happening if it wasn’t for him. I don’t know how I’m ever going to thank him, let alone repay him.”

“Santana feels the same way. She’s so happy, Sammy. I know you probably don’t want to hear me talk about her, with you breaking up with Nari…”

Sam pulled her into his arms and gave a kiss to the top of her head “Brit, I talk to Santana at least five times a day. We’re good, and Narissa…I’m sad but it’s for the best. And I promise, I’ll tell everyone after we win on Saturday and I won’t go to New York without a plan in place. I only hope Sue’s suspension was a wake-up call for Mr. Schue.”

The two of them headed off toward the auditorium without ever noticing Holly had come back through the other door to get her phone. She had heard their conversation and agreed that there was cause for concern. No way was Will not going to at least try and take advantage of Sam’s absence. Fortunately, she had the forethought to record Sam giving his speech on her phone. She had a feeling it would be good, but it had been so much more.

Knowing she had to get back to the kids, Holly sent Sue an email with a quick overview of the problem, a copy of Sam’s speech and the link to the Stress Relief video. So much good had happened in the last half hour, she didn’t want it to go to hell because Sam had a chance to make a future for himself.

When Sue got the email, she had already seen the Stress Relief video. After a meeting she had earlier in the day, she decided it was in her best interest to start following the Show Choir blog she had heard those lose…wonderful members of the New Directions talk about. She really was going to have to start watching what she said about them.

Twenty minutes later, Will knocked on her door “You wanted to see me, Sue?”

“Yes, William, come in. I was wondering if you had seen this?” She turned her computer screen to show him the Stress Relief video.

“Yes, some of my friends in the association made sure I was aware of it.”

“What did you think?”

“Honestly?” Sue gave him a nod to continue “It had nothing to do with show choir. It was a few rich brats throwing a temper tantrum because they didn’t feel they were getting the attention they deserved.”

“Is that what you would have told your students?”

“Probably, although Sam and Sugar would have argued otherwise because of their blind loyalty to Blaine.”

Sue bit her tongue. She could not show her new allegiance to certain current and former members of the New Directions…at least not yet. “What if I told you that’s not what happened?” She switched her screen over to that of Sam’s speech. “Quite remarkable, wasn’t he? Captain took the situation and turned it into a moment to inspire. I was told you used to do that with your precious Glee Club, although I never saw it personally.”

“He inspired them? How? And Nationals? They wouldn’t even be in Regionals if I didn’t go and pull in favors.” It took Will about 30 seconds to realized he had just royally screwed up.

But Sue was ecstatic. It made what she had to do 100 times easier “I think you need some extra time to think about what you just said. I’m extending your suspension through the week after Spring Break. This is your second strike, William. You are going to have to decide if whatever vendetta you have against Blaine Anderson…”

“This has nothing to do with Blaine!”

“You can deny it all you want, I don’t believe you. Although you never bonded with this group due to your decision to abandon them at the beginning of the year, this is about Blaine and you are taking it out on Sam. The rest of those kids are innocent bystanders. What did Blaine do that you are willing to throw away everything for?” It was a question she knew wouldn’t get an answer, but had felt the need to ask. “Think long and hard about this, Will. Because as the saying goes, three strikes and you’re out.”

Back in the auditorium, Finn sat in the last row and watched as the Glee Club packed up for the evening. This last run through, the one after Sam’s speech, had been perfect. Sam was always the one he saw as the leader of the New Directions when he and Rachel left. It probably should have been Artie or Tina, since they were originals, but Artie’s true passion was directing and Tina was…was...he’d think of something other than crazy later. And then there had been Blaine. Yeah, that one could wait for therapy.

“What’s going on?” Kurt asked him.

Finn knew he was coming, but didn’t realize it was that late “Hey, thanks for coming to get me.”

Kurt had about 14 different comebacks, but since all of them would be considered snarky, he bit his tongue. If he was going to get Blaine to believe he was the Old Kurt again, everyone else had to believe it too. “No problem, I was on my way home from work anyway. Plus, I wanted to check on how things were going with Mr. Schue suspended. I didn’t know they had Holly working with them. She must have done something. I saw their last run through and they looked better than I’ve ever seen them.”

“It wasn’t Holly. It was Sam…and maybe a little Blaine.” Shit! He had to go and mention Blaine.

“Blaine? How would Blaine help them? Why would Blaine help them? He’s a Warbler.”

Finn pulled up YouTube on his phone, handed it to Kurt then went to talk to Sam and Jake. He didn’t want to listen to Kurt’s comments…good or bad.

 _Last night a little dancer came dancin' to my door_  
_Last night a little angel came pumping on the floor_

“Oh, my.” Kurt felt his knees begin to buckle, so he subtly (he hoped) sat down in one of the chairs. Blaine may miss the Old Kurt, but the New Kurt had no problems with the New Blaine. He had to admit that in the beginning he missed Blaine’s bowties and hair gel, but the mop-top beating…uh, pounding…oh,um, banging…thrusting…

“Kurt!”

He was once again thankful he had been able to hold back, especially when he discovered it was Brittany trying to get his attention. They had been working on rebuilding their friendship. It started when she was nice to him at Sugar Shack after he cut his hand. He talked to her again after the Schuster Reception and for some reason told her about what Blaine said in the bathroom. Brittany reminded him that she hadn’t forgotten the horrible things he said to her after Sectionals, but she would help him try to get his magic back so he could be Old Kurt again. Then she proceeded to drone on about Blaine loving Sebastian, but he tuned that part out.

However, now that Blaine had finally dumped that asshole, having Brittany in his corner was even more important. He could use her to help clear a path to Blaine through his inexplicable friendship with Santana. Once he and Blaine were back together, he would find a way to get rid of that bitch.

“Hey, Britt. Did you see Blaine’s video?”

“Oh, yeah. We all saw it but we didn’t enjoy it as much as you are.” Brittany very slowly lowered her eyes.

“Wha…Oh! Oh, Brittany…I’m so sorry.” Kurt had never been so happy he carried a messenger bag.

Of course, Brittany’s giggling wasn’t helping “It’s ok, Kurt. All of the girls thought Blaine looked sexy. Well, not Sugar because that would be creepy.”

Sugar, the cousin. Not going to be able to get rid of her “I still bet she found him sexy, but not in that way. More like _My cousin looks so hot I have to keep all the girls away, especially since he’s getting over a break up._ But I have to say, Blaine doesn’t look like he’s too broken hearted.”

“Shouldn’t it be _keep all of the boys away_? And you can stop trying to get information, Kurt. I haven’t heard any more about the Sebreak. Sam’s not talking and Santana is working crazy hours right now getting ready for the…oops, sorry, I said too much.”

“That’s ok, Britt. I remember what it was like interning at Vogue.com. I’m sure the advertising department is just as bad.”

“No, she works at Teen Vogue now. Blaine’s godmother moved her there.”

“Blaine’s godmother works at Vogue?”

“Duh, like you didn’t know. I mean you worked there and didn’t you and Blaine use to talk about Vogue all the time?” Brittany gave him a kiss on his cheek and then left Kurt sitting there wondering what the hell had just happened. He gave a quick look down and determined it was ok to stand since Finn was headed toward him, which was good. He needed to get home and figure out what he was going to do with the information Brittany had just given him.

Unfortunately for Kurt, he’d have to wait. Not only had Sam and Jake followed them home, but Puck was in the living area, waiting with Carole “What’s going on?”

“Thanks for coming” Puck said to the arrivals, ignoring the annoyed tone of Kurt’s voice. “I’m leaving town for a month and thought it would be easier to tell all you guys at once.”

“Going back to LA?” Jake asked.

“No, Paris.”

“Paris! Why the hell would you be going to Paris?!” The guys all knew Kurt’s voice could hit higher octaves but…Damn!

Puck looked at a smiling Finn and Sam. The three of them where anxious to hear Kurt’s response to what came next “Seb’s dad hired Dmitri to go back to Paris with Sierra and help with her move to New York. I’m going with them. Manual labor mostly, but Dmitri’s going to give me some stories about his time in the Russian mob…I mean army, for my screenplay.”

“Bro, that’s awesome.” Jake came around to give his brother a hug, but the others in the room were focused on a visibly shaken Kurt.

“Sierra? As in Sierra Russo? The internationally known, award winning designer for Dior? What do you mean back to Paris?”

Carole was confused by Kurt’s reaction, especially since they were talking about Sebastian’s sister. “Kurt, Sierra was at Cooper’s soft opening when Blaine made his announcement about Julliard. I met her. She’s a lovely woman and her daughter Isabella is adorable.”

“She was at Breadstix? I would have seen her!”

Finn shook his head, mainly so he wouldn’t laugh. He had been right about Kurt being obsessed but he still didn’t have a clue why. “You had to stay in back because Blaine didn’t want you interfering with his announcement. Remember? Sierra and her mom left right after that so they could get the baby home.”

If they were expecting another outburst they were disappointed because Kurt stormed out of the room without saying a word. “What the hell was that?” Jake asked.

“I don’t know but I’m about to find out. Noah, spend some time with your brother. And you two…” Carole pointed back and forth between Finn and Sam “…have a seat and start talking.”

“Sam, can you give Mom and me a minute?” Sam nodded leaving Finn with Carole. He had wanted to call to Sebastian anyway.

Puck got their attention and told them that he and Jake were leaving as well. After a round of hugs, Carole’s patience was gone. She sat down on the couch, patted the cushion next to her then in her best mom voice said two words “Start talking.”

“I’m leaving town too, but next week, not tomorrow like Puck.”

“You’re going to Paris? You don’t have a passport. Hold on, does Noah have a passport?”

“Puck has a passport. He got it when he lived in LA to go to Mexico. And I’m not going to Paris. Cooper is sending me to New York.”

“Why would…oh, you’re going to keep Kurt away from Blaine. Aren’t you?”

“No, Cooper has people for that but I am going to keep them updated on what Kurt is up to. Mom, I’m not saying why, it’s not my place, but I owe Blaine. I’m not going to let Kurt fuck up Blaine’s Julliard thing because he thinks the two of them belong at NYADA together. Sorry about the language.”

“Ok.”

“Ok?”

“Finn, I have no idea what you do for Cooper, and I probably don’t want to, but you have been happier lately than I have seen you in a long time. Now, answer something for me. Does any of this have anything to do with Rachel?”

While that was happening downstairs, Kurt was pacing around his room, trying to get his bearings. There was so much information to process. First of all, Sierra Russo was in Ohio. How the hell did that happen? Oh yeah, the bastard brother. He took one of the throw pillows from his bed and threw it across the room. That son-of-a-bitch had everything Kurt ever wanted. Everything! Well…Kurt sat down on his bed and picked up the picture from his Junior Prom…at least Sebastian didn’t have Blaine any more. Maybe he should ask Sam how Blaine was doing? Yeah, like Sam would tell him anything. Another person he’d have to get rid of when he and Blaine were back together.

Speaking of Blaine, what the hell was this about Blaine’s godmother working at Vogue? What was her name? Bobbie? Betty? Something with a B, he knew that. He couldn’t remember anyone with a name like that who would have the power to move Santana from advertising to Teen Vogue. He’d have to work on Brittany to get that information. Maybe he could try to see Isabelle when he was in New York. He left Vogue.com under good terms. At least he thought he did.

Deciding there was nothing he could do about those things at the moment, he pulled out his folder with the sheet music of possible songs for his NYADA audition. Madame Bitch Tibideaux told him she expected him to go outside of his comfort zone…No Broadway. Fine, he could do that. The problem was finding a song that would not only get him accepted, but would have the same effect on Blaine as _Being_ _Alive_ did. No matter how many times Rachel told him that Blaine was going to Julliard, he knew better. NYADA was their dream. Blaine would be there.

He studied the sheet on top of the file. This was the song he was leaning toward singing. It was one of Blaine’s favorites…although he had no idea why.

 _How can I just let you walk away_  
_Just let you leave without a trace_  
_When I stand here taking_  
_Every breath with you_

 _You're the only one_  
_Who really knew me at all_

Kurt was about to begin the next verse when he was interrupted by a ringtone that made him cringe.

The last thing he wanted to do was deal with Cooper, but there was no getting around it. He still owed the asshole $9,782.18. “Hello, Cooper.”

“Yeah, Hummel. I’ve got good news for you. Being the wonderfully generous boss that I am, you can have the week after next off like you asked.”

“Really? What’s the catch?”

“You have to work a double shift the next three days. You’re training your fill-in.”

“The next three days? I’ll miss the New Directions Regionals.”

“Choice is yours. What’s it going to be?”

“Fine. What time do I have to be in for this training?”

“10AM, don’t be late. I’ve got a surprise for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took Throat Explosion’s description from canon (and amped it up a bit).
> 
> Sam’s speech: I know for canon purposes the Season 4/5 New Directions couldn’t win, but could they have at least tried? (opinion)


	41. Reunited...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine is reminded how much Sebastian loves him at about the same time Kurt decides to make a move to get Blaine back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter gives light to the author's opinion of certain Klaine canon events.

After making the Stress Relief video, the Cello brothers went back to Dalton since it wound up that they would not have to give a deposition due to their diplomatic immunity. It was then that Blaine sat down with Jeff, Trent and Beat (even though he already knew) to talk about Tommy. He had decided since he had to tell Jeff because he saw the mini _Who Knew_ breakdown, he might as well tell Trent, and then Thad and Nick when lockdown was over. Jeff never could keep a secret.

When Blaine talked with his mom, uncle and Beat, they all recommended he just go with the version of the story Sebastian, Sam and David knew. He had to agree.

“So, you’re not Tommy?” Trent asked Beat.

“No, I just said that so you guys would stop bombarding Blaine with questions asking about the name drop during _It’s My Life_.”

“Then what’s you real name?”

“Nope.” The tone of Beat’s voice told Trent to drop it. “Jeff, you’re awfully quiet.”

He wasn’t going to push, but Jeff felt the need to ask something else “You really don’t know where Tommy is? Or what actually happened to him?”

Blaine shook his head “His family took him away before I ever regained consciousness, but I was able to find out that he took the brunt of the attack trying to protect me. Uncle Robert found him but they don’t want me to know where he is. Sebastian’s dad deals with them now since he oversees the trust I made Stafford set up as part of his plea deal. Trent, you know Doug can never find out about this.”

“No shit.”

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, letting Blaine know there were no further questions “Ok then, let’s go have our last dinner of imprisonment. Rosa made fried chicken and crispy potatoes.” The guys agreed and went to the kitchen only to find Rosa not frying the potatoes but swearing at a laptop. Blaine rounded to help only to remember the _No internet until after your deposition_ rule “Rosa? What’s the problem?”

“Sebby sent me a text sayin’ that damn video ya'll made is on the boob tube. I’m tryin’ to get it up.” A moment later her phone rang “Praise the lord. Thanks for callin’ Dougy…Yeah…Oh, it’s YouTube not boob tube. I’ll be damned. There it is…Thanks again you sweet boy.” Rosa turned off her phone and pressed play.

“Holy hell, how did it get on YouTube?” Trent asked.

That wasn’t the question Blaine wanted an answer for “Rosa, there’s a number under the video that says views. What is it?”

“22, 267.”

All four boys went wide eyed. It had only been up 2 hours at the most. Before they could contemplate what that meant (or eat), Blaine’s mom came in “Rosa, Blaine, there’s a couple of delivery people at the door for the two of you.” They were both intrigued…but, so were Jeff, Trent and Beat who followed them out. When they got to the door both were handed envelopes and then Rosa received a huge bouquet of 3 dozen roses. Blaine was handed…a teddy bear in a pink dress?

Beat stopped laughing long enough to take Rosa’s flowers so she could open the envelope. In there was a thank you note from Sienna and Izzy as well as a receipt for a stay that weekend for Rosa and her sister at the best spa in Columbus. She was starting work at the Smythe’s on Monday.

When Blaine opened his envelope all he could do was smile. His note was from Izzy, but in Sebastian’s hand writing.

_I am Izzy-wizzy Bear. Uncle Sebby and I wanted to say thank you for helping my mommy and have Rosa help take care of me._

“Blaine. Earth to Blaine.”

He looked up and handed Trent the note but told the others “Izzy sent her to me. Guess that explains the pink Dior dress.”

Pam went with Rosa to take care of her roses, but the guys stayed in the entryway since the drivers said there was more for Blaine. While they waited, Beat decided to tease Blaine a bit. “Bud, where’s the dog Kurt _got_ for you?”

Jeff noticed something about his friend's tone “Why did you say _got_ like that?” 

Blaine rolled his eyes, he knew where Beat was going with this. “You had to go there, huh? He said _got_ because Kurt didn’t buy it. Senior Skip day was at an amusement park. Rachel made Finn spend the day winning her stuffed animals. Kurt took one and gave it to me. And to answer you question, I donated her to a toy drive for the children’s hospital.”

“So, Hummel didn’t win it or buy it. He stole it from Finn, well actually Rachel?”

When Blaine nodded, all four of them lost it until one of the delivery people came back in with a bigger stuffed bear and note. He guessed this one was from Sierra.

_I am Mommy Bear. Blaine, you will never know how thankful I am that you helped bring Rosa into my life, or how thankful I am that Sebastian has you in his._

“I’m the lucky one” Blaine sighed, but didn’t have time to recover when the other driver came in carrying another stuffed bear, this one at least 6 feet tall.

_I am Sexy Uncle Bear and I’m here to say that you are the most incredible person on the planet. I’m also here to give you a hug when Sebastian can’t…even though you broke up (not!)_

While Blaine and the guys took the bears upstairs and then (finally) sat down to eat, Kurt was in his room on the phone with Rachel.

“Kurt, I will help you with your song selection but you have to stop saying I helped you get another audition at NYADA. All I told you was I thought that if you would have sang _Being Alive_ at your first audition, you would have got in. You sent the video to Madame Tibideaux. I had nothing to with this.”

“Fine, I know your just protecting yourself from Santana’s wrath since she thinks she has to protect Blaine from me. Don’t worry, when Blaine and I move into the loft we’ll get her out of there. I don’t know what we’ll do with Mercedes though. Now, has Blaine talked to you about his NYADA audition?”

“Please don’t start” Rachel groaned. “I know I’ll be inundated with questions tomorrow after that video. Anyway, Kurt, I’m telling you this only one more time. Blaine is going to Julliard. He has already been accepted and is The Future in their yearly concert at Lincoln Center. There are posters, Kurt. Blaine’s picture is on them. He wouldn’t let things go that far unless he had already committed to the school. As far as I know, the only time he is going to NYADA is a week from Monday. He made an appointment with admissions to talk about how he’s a finalist without applying.”

“So, he’s going to be there that Monday?”

“Kurt, back off. Blaine and Sebastian just broke up.”

“Don’t you understand? This is the perfect time for me to show him that I support what he’s doing. When he’s in New York, he can’t be sad like he was when he thought I abandoned him. Think of how happy he’ll be when I’m able to convince him that I won’t be jealous and won’t say any of that Alpha Gay crap everyone holds against me. I only want to support his dreams. Maybe I should send him a bouquet of our red & yellow roses? You know, just to let him know I’m thinking of him and will be there if he needs me.”

There was silence for what seemed like minutes...then Rachel lost it. “Have you lost your fucking mind?! Blaine wasn’t sad. He was clinically depressed.”

Oh, shit! That didn’t come out right. She tried to take it back, but it was too late.

This was not good.

**Next day: YouTube**  
_Sugar Shack Boyfriend Surprise 702,018 views_  
_Rebel Yell by Stress Relief 65,555 views_

Blaine woke up to three sets of fake eyes staring at him and it made him smile. He knew he was a big old sap and he didn’t care. All he cared about in that moment was in six hours he would finally, finally see Sebastian again. Also, maybe he’d find out what the hell was going on with the adults in his life. They had been acting…well, weird.

After getting dressed, he headed downstairs to the kitchen. Blaine expected to see the guys at the table but instead he was met by the one person that had not been hanging around since the lockdown. “Dad, what are you doing home? I thought you had stockholder meetings all week.”

“Your Uncle Henry…he just…I just wanted to…I ran away” Charles admitted in defeat.

“Running away from your big brother. Yeah, I can relate.” Blaine grabbed the breakfast Rosa had left for him and a cup of coffee before sitting across from his father “Where are the guys?”

“They’ve all been picked up by their lawyers. Evidently, you will be the last of the Dalton students to give your deposition. They are most likely going to question you about how you could tell something was going on.”

“I know, Uncle Robert…I mean Al, whoever, told me what to expect. I’m just glad we could keep Sam out of this since we broke into Dalton to get the trophy back together.”

“Son, I would appreciate it if you didn’t use the phrase _Broke into Dalton_ when you’re being questioned.”

Both of the Anderson men laughed but the room went quiet when Blaine’s mom walked in and sat the latest delivery to their home on the table “Blaine, these just arrived for you. There wasn’t a card.”  
Blaine picked up the vase and proceeded to take the red and yellow roses to the garbage “What the hell was he thinking?”

“So, you didn’t…?”

“No! Mom! Just…no. I promise I have done nothing to make Kurt believe that I would talk to him, let alone accept flowers.” Blaine took a cleansing breath and then sat back at the table. “I have been working with Doc on accepting what happened when Kurt and I were together. The problem is I take responsibility for the things I did wrong, but Kurt doesn’t.”

Charles shook his head at Blaine’s statement “Son, you were suffering from depression. If anything, it was our fault. We weren’t paying close enough attention. We…”

Before Charles could continue, Blaine interrupted him. “ _Blaine suffers from depression, but he’s working hard to get better. He admits that he made a lot of stupid decisions during that time and you blaming yourself for his actions is not healthy for his recovery_.”

His mother was not happy, to say the least. “Blaine Devon Anderson, that mantra was developed for Sugar not us.”

“It was Sugar’s, but with a different ending. You two have to stop blaming yourself for my stupid decisions. Yes, I was 17 but I knew things didn’t feel right.” He reached to both sides and had them all join hands “Please let go of whatever misplaced guilt you still have. I’m happy, like ridiculously happy, right now. I have Dalton and the Warblers. Drum is back in my life the way he should be, and I know how the two of you feel about Sam.” His parents could only smile and nod at the mention of the boy they had both grown to love. “And Bas. Mom, Dad, he makes me so happy. I …”

“What’s wrong, Blaine?” Pam didn’t like how he had abruptly stopped mid-sentence.

“How did I not see it? I’ll bet you my entire trust fund Kurt thinks Sebastian and I broke up. I can’t wait until all of this is over and we can get this ridiculous Sebreak behind us.”

Pam gave her husband a look of concern. Neither parent had wanted to bring this up yet, but Kurt’s actions left them no choice. “Blaine, what do you remember about when Cam brought you here from Dalton on Tuesday?”

“I don’t know. I was tired and it seemed like every student at Dalton watched me leave. Drum, Jeff and Uncle Robert were there. They could probably tell you more than I could.”

“Sweetheart, when your Uncle Robert found you the other morning in the music department, it was clear that you hadn’t been to sleep and had been crying. Do you remember the song you wrote?”

“I know I wrote a song, but I’m pretty sure it was crap because I don’t really remember it. I think Mr. Olsen recorded it for some reason. Why?”

“The song you wrote…sung, it is about Tommy, Son” Charles watched the distress take over Blaine’s expression. It broke his heart to know he was probably about to make things worse. “From what Robert told us, you were a mess to put it kindly. The problem was you had to go back through the main building to leave. Since Tommy was involved and couldn’t be talked about, Robert took Jeff’s suggestion of just letting everyone keep believing you and Sebastian broke up. That way there was no reason to explain why you looked as you did.”

“Does Bas know this?”

“We had Xavier tell him the no sleep/looked like hell part, not the Tommy part. That’s up to you. Sebastian said for you not to worry and concentrate on your deposition. He’ll take care of everything.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of” Blaine grumbled, but with a smile that put his parents at ease.

“Ok, we’ll put it in Sebastian’s hands and that’s that” Charles declared as he took his coffee mug to the sink. Plus, there was something else he wanted to talk to Blaine about before they left for the courthouse “You know, son. It may be the end of March, but it’s supposed to be over 60 degrees outside. Have you…”

“Taken the Mustang out? Yeah.” Then Blaine figured out what his dad was getting at “But, I haven’t put the top down. You want to drive it to the courthouse?”

“No, you drive and I’ll just sit back and relax.”

Pam stood up and began to wag her finger at them “Oh, no. I’m going with you two. Remember? And I’m not riding in the back of a convertible on my way to the courthouse. Blaine, you of all people should know what that wind would do to my hair.”

“Get a scarf, Mom” Blaine called back as he headed upstairs to finish getting ready.

Once he was out of earshot, Pam turned back to her husband. “That was close. I’m amazed Blaine didn’t ask more questions.”

Charles walked over and gave his wife a hug “Let’s just get through this morning, Pammy."

“I know. I really do. I’m going to call Cooper about something he’s supposed to do for Blaine then I will go find something to tie my hair down with.” She had to remember where she had left her phone, but when Pam finally got ahold of her eldest son she couldn’t help but smile “You sound like you’re in a good mood.”

“Because I am. What can I do for you, Mom?”

“Did you give Holly that file for Sam?”

“No, I’m going to see him in about 10 minutes. I’ll give it to him then.”

“Is McKinley out today?”

“No, Mother. I promise I’ll explain everything if it goes as planned. Now, you want to tell me what’s bothering you?”

“You could tell, huh?” Cooper had always been good at reading her moods, just like his father. “Your brother had a delivery this morning.”

Cooper began laughing “A giant stuffed bear wasn’t enough? What else did Sebastian send him?”

“Blaine received roses…red and yellow roses. There was no note.”

Cooper stopped laughing “I’ll take care of it.”

“Cooper…”

“Mom, go with Blaine to court. I’ve got this.”

When Cooper ended his call, he left his office and went out into the dining area where he knew Finn was talking to Ralphie.

“Puck and I only ever heard that one guy mention Dalton’s Fight Club, and his friends shut him up pretty quickly. Oh, hey Cooper. What’s wrong?”

Ralphie took one look at Cooper’s face and excused himself. “Your idiot brother…”

“Idiot step-brother.”

“Well, whoever the fucker is he sent roses to Blaine.”

“Son of a bitch!” Finn reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone “It’s a text from Rachel telling me to call her ASAP. This is the third one and I know Kurt talked to her last night. She might be trying to warn me.” He started to walk away to make the call when Sam walked in. “Whose class are you skipping?”

“I’m not skipping, I have a doctor’s appointment.” Sam told him, but the smile on his face gave away the fact that he was lying. “Did you think I would miss this?”

“This what?”

“Cooper, you didn’t tell Finn?”

“No, I thought it would be more fun this way.” Sam’s arrival had given Cooper the chance to calm down.

“Finn, do you think you could finish your call with Rachel in about five minutes. You definitely don’t want to miss this.”

“Are you kidding? It takes Rachel at least five minutes to say hello. I’ll wait for whatever you got going on.”

“Wise decision. Sam, I have some more sheet music for you from Blaine.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

The three of them continued their conversation as Kurt arrived in the parking lot. He was still pissed Cooper was making him work three doubles, but if that’s what it took to get him the time off to go to New York, so be it. As he stepped out of his car, Kurt couldn’t help but notice a beautiful silver Jaguar pull in and park beside him. Maybe someday Blaine would buy him a car like that.

Kurt paid less attention to the car when he saw the very attractive driver get out and head for the restaurant’s entrance. “Excuse me, sir” he called out, getting the older gentleman’s attention. “We don’t open for lunch for another hour.”

“That’s alright, Mr. Hummel. I’m here to see Cooper.”

As the man went into Breadstix, Kurt stopped and tried to think of where he might have known him from. Surely, he would have remembered a man that was not only that good looking, but also drove a Jaguar and dressed in $5,000 suits. Employees were supposed to enter through the kitchen, but he thought he’d follow the man in to see if he could hear his name. His luck must have been turning because when he walked in, he saw the man talking to not only Cooper, but Finn and Sam as well. If he couldn’t figure out who he was, he’d find a way to get it out of Finn later.

“How’s he doing?” Sam asked the man.

“Yesterday was brutal. The lawyers kept trying to discredit Sebastian, but he held his own. That’s all I can really say about it. I’m actually in Lima to see Congressman Hummel. He’s back in town, isn’t that correct?”

“Yes” Finn told him. “He came in late last night for his Constituent Meet & Greet today.”

“Good.”

Kurt didn’t hear that last part. He hadn’t heard anything after the man said Sebastian until he heard “Kurt? What are you doing here?”

“Chandler?”

Hearing that name got the attention of the four other men in the room. “Oh, good. You two know each other” Cooper said sarcastically (yet somehow also overdramatically). “It will make training go so much easier.”

“Wait, I’m training him?” Kurt tried to hold it together, but was having a difficult time. There was no way Cooper didn’t know who Chandler was.

“Yes, you are. Chandler, would you come with me?” Cooper headed back toward the kitchen with his newest employee. “You too, Hummel.”

“Yeah, Kurt…just think. This time you can text Chandler all you want behind Blaine’s back because he doesn’t give a shit.” Sam was enjoying himself, but that went into hyperdrive when he saw the horror on Kurt’s face when he realized Sam had filmed the entire encounter on his phone.

Kurt’s expression is what helped Finn put things together “Chandler? Chandler as in last year’s Chandler? _It’s not right but it’s ok_ Chandler? I mean, I’m not into dudes, but dude…you had _Blaine_. Blaine Anderson, the guy your obsessed with, was your boyfriend and you were cheating with _that guy_? Dude, what the hell were you thinking?”

“I did not cheat on Blaine. Chandler and I would text. That’s it. What’s so funny, Sam?”

He waved his phone to remind Kurt that he was still filming “Blaine’s going to love that since it was what you accused him of doing with Sebastian.”

“Why does that matter? Blaine finally dumped his meerkat ass.”

“Sorry, Mr. Hummel, but…” the mystery man rolled his arm to look at his very expensive watch “that situation is being fixed as we speak.”

“And how would you know that?”

“I’m sorry, did I not introduce myself? My name is Xavier…Xavier Smythe.”

His timing wasn’t too far off. The Andersons pulled into their driveway about 90 minutes later. This time Charles drove.

“That was amazing! We don’t have to tune anything on her!”

“Sally” Blaine corrected his father.

“Sally?”

“The car? Her name is Sally. You know…” then Blaine sang “Mustang Sally, you better slow your mustangs down.”

His mom came around and took the keys from her husband and handed them to him “Well, you better find a way of slowing Miss Sally down because if you get a ticket those keys, plus the Harley’s, will be mine for a month.”

“Yes, ma’am” was all Blaine could say, especially since he had caught himself speeding more than once on the drive to the courthouse that morning.

“Good. Go ahead and go in. I want to talk to your dad about something.” Blaine thought that was strange, but he headed to the house anyway.

“Do you know what he has planned?” Charles asked.

“No, but whatever it is, he doesn’t need us watching. Let’s go check the progress on the new garage.”

The only thing Blaine planned to do when he walked into the house was go upstairs and take a shower, but something in the living area caught his eye “No. It can’t be.” His step got faster the closer he got until he stopped in his tracks and looked at the sea of yellow that covered the room.

“1000 yellow daisies” he whispered.

“Actually, there’s only 999.” Blaine turned around to find Sebastian standing behind him holding the final flower.

“You remembered.”

“Yes, I remembered. You only made me watch that episode of the Gilmore Girls a dozen times.”

Blaine ran his hands across his face to wipe away his tears, but it was futile. They just kept falling. “Bas…”

“No, B. Let me do this. I don’t know how we broke up…don’t roll your eyes at me. I’m trying to be romantic here.”

“I’m sorry, go on.”

“Anyway, what I was going to say before I was interrupted was that we both know if we broke up it was my fault. So, I want you to know that I’ll never make you want to break up with me again. Blaine, even though we had absolutely no contact, you were with me every second of the last few days. I love you, Blaine. I know we say that all the time but I think I was taking it for granted. I will never do that again. Blaine Devon Anderson, can we put an end to this stupid Sebreak and go back to being boyfriends?"

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sugar’s therapeutic mantra was in Chapter 9 (Family & Friends).
> 
> Gilmore Girls 1000 Yellow Daisies Episode 1x21. One of the times Blaine was crying about Kurt (gag) to Sam, he said Kurt sent back the Gilmore Girls box set. I went with the assumption Blaine liked the show.  
> No actual flowers were harmed (thrown away) during the writing of the chapter. Just a reworking of canon.
> 
> Heads Up from the author about coming chapters: In my version of events, Blaine went to NYC and told Kurt he was with someone (because that was what he did) but Call Backs and all of Blaine’s attempts to get Kurt back (yuck) never happened.


	42. And It Feels So Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Sebreak is over! Time to get back to normal…or find something new to throw everything into chaos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Group text is in italics
> 
> Warning: This chapter is rated M (Seblaine has been apart, did you expect anything less?)

“Ok, Chandler. Pay attention to Hummel here. And Hummel…” Cooper tried not to laugh at how Kurt glared at him (Santana was right. He does look constipated), but not very hard “Are you ok? You look strange…maybe like you’ve seen a ghost.” That took the last bit of his composure, so just left and laughed his way back out to the dining room.

“What was that all about?” Chandler asked as he put on the apron Kurt handed him.

“Long story” Kurt grumbled. He went to the walk-in and when he came back he found Chandler with his arms crossed, tapping his foot “What?”

“Since I’m here for the next three hours and I’m pretty sure heating up the breadsticks then putting them in baskets isn’t that hard, you might as well start talking. You know I’ll get it out of you eventually.”

Kurt smiled as he remembered why it was he had liked Chandler so much the first time “You’re right, as usual. And it is one hell of a story.”

While Kurt and Chandler chatted like two long lost friends, Pam and Charles were attempting to discreetly sneak back into their house…and failed. “You can come in Mom and Dad” Blaine called out. “Nothing sorted going on in here.”

“One can never be too sure with the two of you” Pam teased but internally cheered seeing Blaine and Sebastian cuddled together on the couch, surrounded by hundreds of yellow flowers.

“Especially since you had been separated for three whole days” Charles chimed in, then handed something to his son “I suppose you want your phone back.”

“Mr. A, could you please take our picture first?” Sebastian asked. “I mean, B and I should let everyone know we’re back together. That’s ok…right?”

“You two are absolutely ridiculous, but adorable” Pam told them as she approved the picture her husband had taken. “Now, text away…end the national nightmare.”

Both boys looked at the picture and smiled, each knowing they would need to get a framed copy for their night tables.

“What should we say?”

“There’s only one thing I can think of.”

 _From Blaine (and Sebastian): Reunited and it feels so good ***image attached**_  
_From Santana: Fucking finally! What’s with the flowers?_  
_From Sam: How can you be a FOB and not know 1000 Yellow Daisies from Gilmore Girls? Good move, Seb_  
_From Cooper: FOB? And I’ve got a picture for you too ***image attached**_  
_From Wes: Friend of Blaine and who is the guy with Hummel?_  
_From Sam: Cooper! WTF! We agreed to wait_  
_From Beat: Are we still pretending like Seblaine broke up? And Santana, Sam has a point about Gilmore Girls_  
_From Sebastian: Yes, to the pretending part but tell Mike the truth since he’ll be in LA with us_  
_From Sebastian: And Cooper, who the fuck is the guy with Gayface? B is being a meany and won’t tell me_  
_From Santana: Oh shit! Friday night you and your boys went out to eat…_  
_From Wes: (pause) Wait, that’s Mr. Texting isn’t Cheating?_  
_From Beat: I still don’t get it_  
_From Blaine: Drum, the guy with Kurt is Chandler_  
_From Beat: As in…_  
_From Blaine: Yup_  
_From Cooper: Seb? No Smythe snark?_  
_From Blaine: It’s impossible for him to roll on the floor laughing and type at the same time_  
_From Sam: You should have heard Finn. He was all “Dude, I’m not into dudes…but dude you were dating Blaine”_  
_From Trent: Damn! Come 5 minutes late to a group text and see what happens_

Blaine had to pull out when his phone rang “Hello, Sug…”

“Don’t you _Hello_ me, Blaine Devon Anderson! What the hell is Sebreak?”

“Sugar, if you’re going to yell, turn down the volume.”

“Blaine...”

“Ok, I’m going to tell you something but you can’t tell anyone, not even Kitty. Sam and Coop know though.”

Sugar giggled at Blaine’s inadvertent rhyme. It helped calm her down “You know I can keep a secret.”

“I do. Bas and I didn’t break up. The Sebreak is just a big misunderstanding we’re not clearing up at the moment.”

“Why not?”

“I’m not sure but I’m going to find out. Ok?”

“Ok.”

“I promise we will have a cuddle-chat about this after your Regionals on Saturday. Are you guys ready?

“More than ready. I can’t wait to kick ass then get on Spring Break.”

“Do you have plans I don’t know about?” Blaine didn’t like the silence “Sugar?”

“Before I tell you, there’s something you should know. Nicky and I broke up. Don’t go all caveman and threaten to hurt one of your best friends, it was mutual. Kind of like what happened with Sam and Nari. I think that was why I was so upset when I heard about you and Sebastian.”

“Well, I guess we have more to talk about during our cuddle-chat.” Blaine couldn’t say that he was surprised, but it was probably a good thing he wasn’t seeing Nick anytime soon. “So, are you ever going to tell me about your Spring Break plans?”

“I’m going to Ireland to see Rory.”

“What?!”

While Blaine’s conversation with Sugar became more animated, Sebastian signaled like he was going to go use the restroom, but instead went and found Blaine’s parents in the kitchen.

“I don’t like this.”

They each gave him a look of apology because they knew they had put him in a bad situation. Pam stood and excused herself, leaving her husband to try and settle their son’s boyfriend’s nerves. “What are you most concerned about?”

Sebastian sat down at the table even though he knew he didn’t have a lot of time. “That you’ve gone behind his back. That Sam knows nothing even though this involves him too. Doctor/patient confidentiality has been broken. Lawyer/client confidentiality has been broken. That I’m lying to him for you. That the last time he was overwhelmed he punched the heavy bag until he almost ruined his hands. I could go on.”

“I’m sorry it had to be this way.”

“Did it?”

Charles was a little put off by Sebastian’s frankness, but knew it was because he cared about Blaine. “I have lived every minute of the last 1,478 days with the knowledge that I was not there for my son when he needed me most. I will never let that happen again.”

The fact that Blaine’s dad knew exactly how many days it had been since the attack, for some reason that helped, but not with all of Sebastian’s concerns “This whole year…the move back to Dalton, being in the Warblers again, embracing his musical abilities, telling everyone about Sugar, having Sam and Santana in his life, repairing his relationship with Beat and Cooper…and you…and me, he calls it _Saving_ _Myself_. He’s going to hate it that so many people are involved.”

“I know.”

They had managed to time their conversation perfectly because at that point Pam came back into the kitchen “Ok, I got my purse. Let’s go.”

“Where are you going?” Sebastian asked.

“We’re going to get a couple of things ready for tomorrow and then to have dinner” she told him and gave him a wink “Meaning you have about two hours.”

When Sebastian got back to Blaine he had just ended his call with Sugar “That took longer than I thought it would.”

“I stopped to talk to your parents on my way back. They left to run a couple of errands and then go have dinner.”

“Oh really?” Blaine asked with lilted voice and eyebrow wiggle.

“Yes, really.” Sebastian tried to sound cool and play-off what Blaine had been hinting at…for now. “Since Dalton closed for break early, I asked Rosa to make us meatloaf so we could still have our planned dinner date. Although, I will probably need to start running 5 miles every morning until that photo shoot to make up for what I’ve been eating. I should also get back on my lacrosse diet.”

Blaine put his phone down and walked over to his boyfriend. “Or” he said in that low, authoritative tone that he knew could put Sebastian on his knees in seconds “We can think of other ways to burn calories. Did my parents say how long they would be gone?”

By this time Sebastian’s entire body was practically vibrating. Even though Blaine was standing barely an inch in front of him, they were not touching…Blaine made sure of it. Every time Sebastian would reach out, Blaine moved away “Two hours. Your parents said they would be gone two hours” he managed to spit out.

Blaine took the back of his hand and very gently brushed it across Sebastian’s cheek “Thank you, Beautiful. Now, I have to ask, did Doug give you your copy of the Stress Relief video…the one of only me playing the drums?” The tone of Blaine’s voice had only gotten more intense, leaving Sebastian speechless. He was reduced to his go-to response of emphatic nodding. “Did you understand the hidden message? You’re going to have to use your words, Beautiful.”

“Yes…yes, I…I understood.”

“What was it, Beautiful.”

“I couldn’t touch myself.” When Blaine touched his cheek again, it took everything within him to not fall to the floor. Sebastian never understood how Blaine could do this to him with just his voice and a feather-like touch, but at that moment he really didn’t care.

“And?”

“I was good.”

“I’m so proud of you, Beautiful. So proud that I’m going to give you a choice. We can go up to my room and have some time together or wait until our planned time tomorrow night. You have to realize that if we go upstairs now, it would have to be fast…hard…”

Blaine didn’t have to come up with any other adjectives, for Sebastian had grabbed his arm and was dragging him up the stairs. When the bedroom door had been slammed shut and they were in the process of undressing each other, Sebastian froze. Blaine immediately saw the problem, a 6 ft. stuffed bear was pretty hard to miss “It does look like he’s watching us. Not ready to try exhibitionism…yet?” Sebastian contemplated the word yet as he watched Blaine walk over to a drawer and pull out…a blindfold?

“You or the bear?”

An hour later, they were in the kitchen having dinner when Sebastian received a text that surprised him enough that he said “Huh?”

“What’s going on?”

“It’s a text from my mom and she never sends texts. She thinks their rude.”

“What does it say?”

“ _I know you’re with Blaine, but you need to come home. Nothing family_.”

“Go, I’ll see you tomorrow. Plus, it will give me a chance to confront my parents about whatever the fuck they have going on.”

“B…”

“Bas, there has been too many strange things going on here the last few days. Even the Cello brothers commented on it. I suppose you know what it is, but can’t tell me.”

“I just know they’re going to talk to you about something. I don’t know what it is exactly. I’m sorry.”

“Well, I’m pretty sure it has something to do with why they insisted we not tell everyone that the Sebreak was just a big misunderstanding. No matter what, I’ll meet you at Uncle Rob’s at say 7PM tomorrow.”

“Why would we go to Lima? Isn’t that out of the way to go to the New Directions Regionals on Saturday?”

“I forgot to tell you. Sugar told me that the Regionals site had a massive water leak. McKinley was the only one of the schools that could have it there on such short notice.”

“And Principal Sue didn’t have a problem with that? I thought she hated the New Directions.”

“Evidently, she has suddenly become their biggest supporter. Sug had to go but said she’s explain later.”

“That’s…” Before Sebastian could finish another text came through from his mother “I should really go.” After a few goodbye kisses, he did just that. When he arrived home, he was met at the door...

“Mom? What’s going on?”

“I don’t know, my Darling Boy. When I told her you were at the Andersons, she said she would wait. Sebastian, she sat on the porch steps to do just that. I convinced her to come inside, which I know wasn’t the smartest thing to do but she looked so familiar. She wouldn’t tell me her name.”

“You recognize her from Blaine’s first YouTube video. Her name is Rachel…Rachel Berry. Mom...”

“I’ll be in upstairs if you need me.”

Sebastian walked toward Rachel quietly, wanting to get a clue of what he would be dealing with. Unfortunately, she heard him but seeing her face only reinforced his feeling that something was wrong. He had seen that expression on her once before…after Sectionals when she found out Blaine had been one of the victims in the attack her fathers had told her about years earlier. He pulled the ottoman over so he could sit directly in front of her “Rachel? My mom said you wanted to talk to me.”

“I needed someone who already hates me. I thought of you.” Her voice was so small it almost broke his heart.

Shit! It looked like she would start crying and he could not handle that, but then he got an idea. “Rachel, I’ll be right back. I promise.” She was confused, but even more so when Sebastian came back a couple of minutes later and handed her a baby. “Rachel, this is my niece Isabella but she likes being called Izzy.”

“Sebastian, why…”

“Because it looked like you were going to cry, but now you can’t because if you cry she’ll cry. You wouldn’t want to make Izzy cry, now would you?”

Izzy reached out for Rachel’s face causing a small smile to appear “No” She sat the baby on her lap and then looked across at her uncle “I told Kurt about Blaine’s depression.”

“Ok? Rachel, that’s not really a secret.”

“Well, he didn’t know, or at least he says he didn’t. Once you and Blaine broke up he became even more obsessed with getting Blaine…”

He didn’t know why, but Sebastian felt like he had to tell her “Rachel, Blaine and I are together. We never broke up.”

“But Santana…”

“It was a huge misunderstanding, that for reasons I can’t tell you, we are letting everyone believe.” He pulled out his phone and showed her his newest picture “But we are together.”

“1000 yellow daisies?” Sebastian nodded and she smiled again “Blaine looks happy. Kurt was talking about sending him their roses…”

“He did. Blaine threw them in the trash.” Izzy was beginning to fall asleep in Rachel’s arms, so Sebastian got up and put her in the portable crib. When he came back he saw that Rachel was settled enough that maybe she could tell him the true meaning of her visit. “Are you going to tell me why you’re really here?”

“Have you ever heard of NYADA’s Winter Showcase?” Sebastian shook his head but kind of felt bad that he hadn’t “It is the highlight of NYADA’s first semester. Only 10 students are asked to participate. Madame Tibideaux writes out each invitation herself.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Sebastian, I was the first freshman to be invited to participate in seven years.”

“That’s wonderful. Was there a problem?”

“Yes, I won.”

Wasn’t expecting that “Ok, again…I don’t understand.”

“My first few weeks back from break were amazing. I was the star of NYADA and Santana and I were actually becoming friends, especially after I came back to Ohio and pulled Kurt out of that hospital.”

“Waiting for 13 hours, knowing the Andersons would never let him see Blaine, was borderline psychotic.”

“You know he was really waiting to see you. That was during his _I’m in love with Sebastian_ phase.” The look on Sebastian’s face gave Rachel the clue to move on…quickly. “Anyway, things were going great then…I found out my boyfriend was a slut…Mercedes got a part on Broadway and Santana told her to move in without asking me…oh, and I slept with Finn. When I got back to NYADA, everyone had seen _Don’t You Want Me_ on YouTube and I went from winner of the Winter Showcase to an extra in a Blaine Anderson video. And today was so bad with that new video, that I just left. Did you know Stress Relief almost has 80,000 views already?”

“Rachel…”

She put up her hand, signaling for him to stop, then she let it all out “After everyone at NYADA found out Blaine was The Future at Julliard, I went _Alpha Gay_. I understood how Kurt got to that point. Not only was I jealous of Blaine, I was lonely. So, I helped Kurt get a new audition to NYADA. I keep trying to tell him that he got it on his own, but I made sure admissions got the video he sent. I wanted it to be like it was last year when I was the star, Kurt was my best friend and Blaine was my favorite duet partner…yes, more than Finn. When I realized what I had done, that’s when I blurted out about Blaine’s depression. I wanted Kurt to see how happy Blaine is and leave him alone, but it made things worse.” She bowed her head and finally let the tears fall. “Can you please yell at me now?”

“Get up.”

“Oh, ok. I’ll just go…”

But that was not what Sebastian had in mind. He moved to the chair, then pulled her onto his lap and kept her wrapped in his arms “I’m not going to yell at you and, believe it or not, I don’t hate you.”

“You don’t?”

“Well, I didn’t like you very much when you were grinding your girl parts into my boyfriend in front of 100 people.” That got her to giggle which slowed the tears, at least for the time being. “Rachel, you were jealous and lonely which is something I can relate to. I have a question. Do you know who my best friend is?”

“Blaine.”

“No, he’s my boyfriend. Trent is my best friend.”

“You mean Thad?”

“No, you heard me right the first time. My best friend is that Baby-faced Warbler and you want to know why? It’s because when there was something I thought I couldn’t forgive myself for, he convinced me that I could. So, I am going to do the same for you.”

Rachel’s giggles turned to laughter “Does that mean you’re my best friend now?”

“Sure, why not?”

Huh? “You’re being silly.”

“Maybe, but we could give it a try. My bestie is going to Harvard and yours has gone bat-shit crazy. There’s just one thing…you’ll have to share me with Izzy since she and my sister are moving to New York.”

“Santana does have to share Blaine with Sugar. Since it’s Izzy, how can I say no?” Although she wasn’t quite sure if she trusted what was happening, Rachel felt the tension leave her body and she leaned in until her head was on Sebastian’s shoulder “Are you sure things will be ok? If Kurt does something to interfere with Blaine’s concert, I…”

“Rach, I promise. I’ve got someone working on it as we speak. Now, we have to celebrate our new found relationship and your big win at Winter Showcase.”

“And how do you suggest we do that?”

“Well, Trent and I bonded over a porn movie night and his mom’s cookies, but for you how about we just share a piece of the 5-layer chocolate cake Rosa left in the kitchen? Oh god, I’m going to have to run 10 miles tomorrow.”

“Can’t we do both the cake and porn? You’re talking gay porn, right? Oh! Can I meet that guy with the sex toys while I’m in town? Blaine said you call him Santa.”

While Sebastian and Rachel were discovering they had more in common than kissing Blaine, Burt Hummel was finishing up his Meet & Greet. He knew they were necessary, but sometimes people just wanted to bitch to bitch. There seemed to be a lot of those people at the event, or maybe it had just felt like it. He came home to (an apologetic) Carole letting him know what had happened earlier in the evening. Puck going to Paris was interesting, but Cooper sending Finn to New York for the next couple of weeks only meant one thing.

The timing to Kurt’s NYADA audition was too convenient to be a coincidence.

Of course, he had no idea why Kurt was auditioning for NYADA again in the first place. When he came back from New York, Kurt said he would be applying to the Fashion Institute but that never made sense. If he wanted a career in fashion, why did he leave his internship at Vogue.com early? He let out a sigh and then dropped his head back against his chair. How could he have been so blind? There was a reason for Kurt’s change of heart… Blaine.

Before he could think of what to do with this epiphany, his assistant Jenny opened the door. Burt knew it had to be important for her to bother him after he had explicitly asked not to be disturbed.

“Congressman Hummel, there’s a gentleman here to see you. He apologized for coming after the event but wanted to speak in private. He said it’s concerning the situation at Dalton Academy.”

He would have had Jenny send the guy away until he heard those last two words “Send him in, and Jenny…”

She knew the problems her boss had with the Dalton mess a few months earlier “I’ll make sure you’re not disturbed.”

Burt got up and walked around his desk to greet the man as Jenny showed him in “Congressman Hummel, thank you for seeing me.”

“I have to admit, I wouldn’t have if this wasn’t concerning Dalton, Mr…?”

“Smythe…Xavier Smythe, but please call me Xavier.” As he shook Xavier’s hand, Burt tried not to show his complete shock at being face-to-face with The Meerkat’s father, but evidently that wasn’t unexpected. “You have obviously realized who I am, or more specifically who my son is, but I assure you that I was honest when I told your assistant that this concerns Dalton.” Burt motioned for him to have a seat, but let him continue “Congressman Hummel, I want to say upfront that I am an attorney, and while I have not represented Dalton in this matter, I have given council to the current acting head master.”

“Call me Burt, and why do I feel that I’m not going to like what you’re here to tell me?”

“Because you’re not.” Xavier opened his briefcase and pulled out a file “That was given to me yesterday.”

Burt read the first page and didn’t need to go any farther “Why are you here, Xavier?”

“I have followed your career in Washington and believe you are exactly the type of person we need there. Hell, if we were meeting under other circumstances I would be asking if you had thought of running for Senate. But, first and foremost, I am a father and the majority of what Kurt is accused of in that file was directed at Sebastian. He also blackmailed Blaine, threatening him with information he has about my family.”

“Xavier…”

“I recently gave up my position as State’s Attorney due to a family situation. It ended any future political career I may have had and I don’t want you to have to make the same choice. That is the only reason I am giving you the opportunity to handle this privately.” Xavier got up and headed toward the door, but turned to say “Burt, I am a very powerful man with a lot of recourses at my disposal. If you can’t keep Kurt away from Sebastian…I will.”

“Not Blaine?”

“It’s not my place, he’s not my child.” Xavier paused. For some reason he liked Burt, so he warned him “Something is about to happen for Blaine, and it’s going to be big. Keep Kurt away from him, Burt. Blaine’s family…his entire family…will do whatever’s necessary to protect him.”

As Xavier left, Jenny came and shut the door behind him. Burt was thankful that the microsecond of eye-contact he had with her was enough to say no more interruptions. He sat back in his chair with the intention of reading the full file, but couldn’t bring himself to do it. What had Kurt gotten himself into? He needed information and there was only one way he could think to get it.

Finn was surprised to hear the ringtone he had set for his step-father “Hey, Burt. How was the Meet & Greet?”

“It was fine. Finn, I need you to do something for me. I need to talk to Cooper.”

“Sure, I can ask him to call…”

“No, now and in person.”

The next morning Xavier walked into Sebastian’s room and was greeted by a sight he never thought he would see…his son asleep in bed with a girl cuddled into him “Son, wake up.”

It took him a moment to get his bearings, or to the point…remembering why the person with her head on his chest wasn’t Blaine “Hey, Dad. What’s up?”

“Daniel’s here to talk about your change of vacation plans and he got a text. Evidently, Rachel is missing.”

Sebastian sat up slowly, trying to nudge Rachel awake “What do you mean she’s missing?”

“She didn’t come home after classes. Santana, Mercedes, Wes and David have been up all night searching for her. They’ve tried to keep it from her dads so they called Cooper and he sent out a text to the guys. Well, all the guys but Finn. I told Daniel she’s here and to tell Cooper to tell the others, but not give any details until he hears what she wants to do.”

“Thanks, Dad.” When Xavier left, Sebastian put more urgency into waking the little runaway “Rach, you need to wake up. You’ve got a problem. Did you forget to tell your roommates that you wouldn’t be home last night?”

“I didn’t think they’d notice” she grumbled. “I told you that I couldn’t take it anymore and just left. The gym bag of clothes I brought are my dance clothes for the class I skipped. I was actually amazed I got an affordable flight. Why? What’s the problem?”

“Santana called Cooper and told him you were missing.”

Rachel sprang up and grabbed her bag “My dads! My phone is dead and I don’t have a charger! Oh my god, Finn!”

Sebastian got out of bed (No morning wood after sleeping with a girl. Yup, gay) and grabbed ahold of her shoulders. “Deep breaths. Your dads and Finn don’t know. Cooper knows you're not missing, not the details, and will let New York know. Ok, I have extra chargers in my top desk drawer. I’m going to go see if my sister has something you can wear before she finishes packing.”

“Can I keep your Dalton t-shirt? It was comfy to sleep in.”

“Of course. Ok Diva, you need to decide what you want to do. I can tell you your dads aren’t going to be home.”

“I really want to see them. Do you know where they’ll be?”

“Oh, yeah. It’s where I’m going. You know what? You might as well come with me. The more the merrier, right?”

“Where are we going?”

“To an intervention.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know...Sebastian & Rachel
> 
> I get that the Andersons are pretty liberal in giving Blaine and Sebastian “alone” time, knowing they will most likely have sex (although probably not to the extent it goes). I will say that here they are both 18 and with what happened to Blaine, his parents would most likely not want them out in the community “sneaking around”.
> 
> Heads Up: The next chapter will take a little longer to post.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading.


	43. Busted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Blaine’s so-called intervention, Sebastian has an announcement to make. Later, Kurt finds out why Sebastian's father was in Lima.

“What do you mean Rachel is missing?” Blaine had walked into his kitchen to find Cam on the phone. It was obvious he wasn’t supposed to hear that news.

Cam ended his call and then said calmly, since he knew Blaine was already on edge “Rachel was missing. When your friends in New York couldn’t find her, Santana called Cooper to see if he could do something. He sent out a text to all of the guys here and some we’ve used in New York. Less than five minutes later a text came through that she had been found. Rachel’s fine, Blaine.”

“How do you know that?”

“Well, if you don’t believe me why don’t you ask her? She’s right behind you.”

Blaine ran over and took her in his arms. After about a minute he pulled back because something seemed off. She wouldn’t look at him and “Are you wearing my Dalton hoodie? I thought I left it with Bas.”

“You did, B.” Sebastian came in and stood beside Rachel. He wouldn’t look up either.

“What’s going on?” Blaine became even more confused, and agitated, when they clasped hands.

“I was upset” Rachel’s voice cracked causing Sebastian to wrap his arm around her, and causing Blaine’s eyes to widen. “I had to leave New York and…I…I don’t know what happened but I felt this need to go to Sebastian.”

Tears began to stream down Rachel’s cheeks, driving Blaine to almost believe the impossible “Bas?”

“I’m so sorry, B. Rachel and I slept together last night.”

Blaine stumbled back until the counter stopped him. Was he dreaming…or to be correct, was he having a nightmare? His surroundings were out of focus, but he swore he heard Sebastian whisper “5…4…3…2…1”

Then all hell broke loose.

“Oh my god, B! You should see your face!”

“We should have taken a picture, Bastian! Sam would have loved it!”

“Sam?! Ray, Thad would have peed his pants! Oh and…” Rachel caught on and squealed with him “Santana!”

“Wait! Bastian? Ray?” Blaine paused and watched Rachel wipe the tears from her face “Are you laughing? You’re laughing at the fact that you slept with the person I thought was my gold-star gay boyfriend?!”

Sebastian stepped forward to Blaine, but he pulled away causing Sebastian to begin laughing harder “I’m still 100% gold-star, you goof. Ray and I _slept_ together as in she snores, but it’s cute. Her nose wiggles.”

“Thanks Bastian, but we should probably tell him we watched porn and ate brownies in your bed as well.”

“Oh, yeah. B, did you know that Rosa can cook vegan? I offered Ray cake before I knew she was a vegetarian. After she told me, we went to the kitchen to find her something she could eat but I didn’t know Rosa was there getting things ready to go with Sierra to Paris on Monday. When I went to the fridge to see what we had…”

“Rosa started yelling at him for (in a thick, southern accent) _Thinkin’ she was going to let him anywhere_ _near that stove while she was around_. It was so funny, Blaine. Then she pulled out some vegetables and made me the most wonderful stir-fry I think I have ever had…”

“And then she made these awesome brownies out of zucchini and…I don’t know love or some sort of southern cooking magic or voodoo or something like that…”

“But like Bastian said, they were awesome! And then we went and watched…”

“Let’s just say my girl here has a kinky side. I had to go to my special porn stash. Oh, Ray wants to see Santa before she goes back to NYC.”

Nicknames and finishing each other’s sentences? Blaine was pretty sure he had entered a parallel universe, but he was going to go with it for the moment. “Um, when my Aunt Cory got sick, Rosa…not the doctor, put her on a vegan diet. These days she cooks vegan for Sam to balance out his addiction to her grits. Now, before you tell me why the fuck you two thought it was a good idea to have me believe Bas cheated, let me make one thing clear. I am not taking Rachel Berry to a sex shop!” That last part was probably louder than it should have been.

 _*Throat clearing*_ “Blaine, we’re ready.” Dr. Shepard wasn’t sure he wanted to know what was going on, but Rachel’s presence got his attention. “Rachel, I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you yesterday. I can make time for you this afternoon if you still need to talk.”

“That’s ok, Dr. Shepard. Bastian helped me, plus I’m on my way to McKinley to see what the hell is going on with Mr. Schuster. I’m also anxious to see if my Show Choir Bitch lessons have helped Sugar.” She turned to Sebastian and held out her hand “You’re still letting me borrow your car, right?”

Sebastian pulled out his keys, but Blaine reached over and snatched them away “Oh, hell no. You are not letting her borrow your car. Rachel, if you want to go to Lima I’ll have Cam take you. Cam?”

“What’s going on, B?” Sebastian asked as they waited for Cam to respond since he had at some point left the kitchen.

“You two may be these inexplicable besties now, but I have been in a car with Rachel driving…twice, and swore I would never do it again. No way am I letting you give her the keys to your $80,000 BMW.” Rachel was about to say something but Blaine turned to the person entering the room “Cam, sorry about calling for you like that, but Rachel needs to get to Lima. I’d take her but I’m being summoned and I think Bas is supposed to stay.”

Before he could say anything, Rachel realized that she recognized Blaine’s body guard “Mr. Murphy?”

“Hello, Rachel. I was wondering if you would recognize me. I’ve been pretty good at keeping out of view until now.”

“I don’t get it” Sebastian chimed in “And why would Ray call you Mr. Murphy?”

“Last year, to get into McKinley without people saying anything, I was a substitute teacher.”

“Our favorite substitute teacher” Rachel corrected him. “All of the girls had a crush on him.”

“So did Kurt” Blaine added, knowing Rachel was being polite.

“You were at McKinley?” Sebastian still didn’t understand that if Cam was as close to Blaine as they seemed, how was he not with him in the parking garage the night of Slushie-gate? But looking at the expressions of both Cam and Blaine, he knew now wasn’t the time to bring it up.

Dr. Shepard cleared his throat again “Blaine…”

“Fine.” Blaine moved closer to Sebastian and went up on his toes to give him a kiss. Then quietly, but with almost a growl, warned him “You are so going to get punished for that stunt earlier.”

Sebastian shuttered at the thought, in a good way. “I can’t wait.”

When Blaine left the kitchen, Cam turned back to Sebastian “You want to explain what the hell is going on. Blaine heard the last part of your call about people thinking Rachel was missing.”

"I wanted to make sure you were going to be here. Ray, you really didn't know Cam was Blaine's body guard?"

“Security detail” Cam corrected him “Now that Cooper is in charge, we decided to make a change. Guys that make their presence known will still be body guards, but guys like me and Daniel will be security details.”

Rachel was even more confused but Sebastian gave her a look of _I’ll explain later_ “Does Sam know? Wait, does Kurt know?”

“Yes, Sam knows about me but not Kurt. Speaking of, I’m guessing whatever you want to talk about concerns him?”

Sebastian looked down at Rachel and she gave him a nod, knowing what he was silently asking her “Damn straight. He’s been up to more than any of us were aware of.” Cam motioned over to the kitchen table, where the three of them went to have a seat. While Rachel told Cam everything she knew, Sebastian couldn’t help but worry about her putting herself in the middle of this mess. He of all people, knew how vengeful Kurt could be. That thought had his mind wander. With the excitement of Rachel’s appearance, he had forgotten to ask his dad how his meeting with a certain Congressman had gone.

In Lima, that certain Congressman was sitting at his own kitchen table, waiting for his son to come down. Burt had asked Carole and Finn to give him alone time with Kurt that morning. Kurt just wasn’t aware of that fact and was surprised to see his father as he went to make a cup of coffee “Dad? What are you doing here? I thought you and Carole were going shopping for her new car today.”

“We were, but Finn went with her instead. Have a seat Kurt.”

Kurt had a bad feeling at where this was going, but he had an out “Sorry, Dad. I have to be at work early to train someone for when I go to New York.”

“Cooper told that Chandler guy his training had to be delayed and to come back on Monday. Have a seat Kurt.”

“You talked to Cooper?” Kurt’s previous bad feeling was now off the charts, and he didn’t even want to guess what Cooper told his dad about Chandler. Burt reached into his pocket and pulled out a thumb drive. Kurt knew immediately what it was…a copy of the video where Cooper gave Travis the $10,000 in blackmail money. “Dad…”

“You’ve always wanted more, Kurt. It what’s special about you. You know, the drive you needed to get out of Ohio, to get someplace where you were free to be your true self. But I found out it wasn’t just drive, it was selfishness and it didn’t matter who got in your way…even if it was me.”

“Dad, I can…”

Again, Burt didn’t give him the chance to say anything “What you did to Blaine, a person you were supposed to love, was deplorable.” He reached down to the chair next to him, grabbed a copy of the file Xavier had given him the day before and slid it across the table. “What you did to Sebastian was criminal.”

He picked up the file and almost vomited from reading the first page. Hunter Clarington had told the DA how Kurt had convinced the former Dalton Head Master to pile “punishments” on Sebastian, ultimately leading to his bringing Hunter to the school. It also stated that Kurt had done this by promising to influence his father, a very popular United States Representative, to support the Head Master’s run for governor in the next election.

“Blaine told me the day after Thanksgiving that my name had been brought up in the Dalton scandal. I told you this and you said nothing. The Ohio Chair of the Democratic Party came and questioned me about my involvement. I told you this and you said nothing. Finn found out what you had done…” Kurt gasped, somehow astounded Finn would betray him like that “He apologized profusely, saying that he said nothing because it was your place to tell me, and he was right. You should know that he didn’t want to tell me but when Carole overheard our conversation…well, he really didn’t have a choice after that.”

His dad was right about one thing. If Carole had gotten involved, Finn didn’t stand a chance of holding out. “Dad, I’m sorry.”

“Unfortunately, this is one of those times when being sorry isn’t enough.” Burt got up and pushed in his chair “I’ve got a lot to think about so I’m going to go do just that.”

“Dad, please. Can’t we talk about this?”

“Kurt, you are my son and I love you more than anything in this world. I just don’t like you very much right now. I will tell you this…stay away from Sebastian and Blaine. Both Xavier and Cooper were adamant about it.”

“Fine, I’ll stay away from the Meer…Sebastian, but his father doesn’t have the right to tell me to stay away from Blaine. Besides, Blaine and Sebastian aren’t even together anymore.”

“I don’t know what happened, but after talking with Sam I’m pretty sure they got back together. And Kurt, Cooper flat out said if you try to go anywhere near Blaine when you’re both in New York, he has people in place to stop you.”

Once Burt was gone, Kurt tried to catch his breath. His entire world had shattered and he had no one to blame except himself, but knowing that wouldn’t fix the situation. The first thing he needed to do was calm down, but the second was just as important...find out if he still had a job. As much as he hated working for the bastard, Cooper was very good to his employees. The restaurant matched tips earned by servers and divided that money between the non-servers. With as popular as the New & Improved Breadstix was, it wound up being a lot more money than one would think. Since Kurt’s salary went to paying back the $10,000, he really needed that money.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I understand in canon Burt and Kurt had (supposedly—my opinion) the ultimate parent/child relationship, but in this story it would have been it would have been inauthentic for Burt not to be pissed at what Kurt had done. However, I wanted to note in advance that I will play off of the fact that in Episode 6x12 (2009) Burt demanded Kurt “join a team” after Emma showed him the pamphlet on suicide rather than getting him therapy. That scene always bothered me.
> 
> The Sebastian/Rachel may have seemed inappropriate considering they pulled it on Blaine, but as always there was a reason (explained later)


	44. Two Guys On A Beach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine and Sam have a conversation on how their lives have changed since rescuing the trophy...and how much change is still to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be several flashbacks in italics. One flashback has 2 mini-flashbacks embedded. They are marked beginning and end by **
> 
> Warning: Mental health issues will be discussed over the next two chapters. Implied light d/s.

**Sunday PM Malibu, California**

Blaine jogged up from the ocean and put his board on the rack before heading toward where Sam was sitting. When he reached the blanket, he followed Sam’s stare down the beach but had no idea what was so captivating “What are you looking at?”

“That purple car down there. Alice drives one but I always thought it looked weird. The design makes sense with the surfboards on top.” Sam brought his attention back and tried not to laugh, but failed, as Blaine basically turned himself into a contortionist to get his wetsuit off. “Are you done?”

“Yeah, my surfing abilities are limited. But him…” Blaine looked out to the waves where Beat was paddling out yet again “He’ll be out there for at least another hour. This is his happy place, like my music room is for me.” He finally freed himself, then dried off and put on sweats and Uggs until he could warm up before plopping down on the blanket. “You know either Drum or I could teach you.”

“I may look like a surfer-dude, but no…maybe someday. It’s nice to sit and relax after a crazy week. How do you Warblers do it, not having an advisor? Having Holly and Finn was helpful, but I don’t know if I could have kept it together without the surprise of both Rachel and Mike showing up on Friday. My nerves were shot.”

“They shouldn’t have been. You guys were amazing at Regionals and deserved to win. Plus, remember that it’s not only me and Bas, there are five Senior Warblers. They all have positions that highlight their strengths.”

“You mean when you’re not being a control freak and they have to lock you in the office to get anything done?”

“Well, what do you expect. After all, I am crazy.”

That was the first time Sam heard Blaine say something like that. He was still pissed that he hadn’t been included in the so-called Intervention “Blaine…”

“Sam, I promise I’ll stop but it’s going to take me time.”

**Flashback: Friday AM Andersons’ Family Room**

_“Sweetheart, do you have any questions?” Pam was beginning to worry. Blaine was never this quiet. Maybe they should have had Sebastian in for this portion. Maybe…_

_“Nope, I’m good but I’m pretty sure there’s more to this than what you’ve told me.”_

_Well, that answer was unexpected “Not more, but think about it, Blaine” Dr. Shepard told him “You have been on a creative juggernaut lately to the point it has distracted you from working on your actual studies. You admitted that. I would never formally diagnose you as having OCD unless we’re discussing your music, but you had been hyper-vigilant with your school work due to last year’s “academic detour” as you like to call it. You would not lose that focus this close to graduation unless there was more going on.”_

_“So, what’s causing this? I mean, yeah I had a brain injury, but that was 4 years ago.”_

_“I don’t know, but people usually don’t write an entire minor symphony in Italian in less than a week. Especially when they have only had 6 months of High School Italian.”_

_“Blaine Sweetie, try to embrace this.”_

_“Mom, I’ll try but did my entire graduation plan have to change? I’ve worked hard to get my academics back to Dalton’s standard.”_

_Mr. Montgomery handed him a piece of paper “Plans are developed around core requirements at Ivy League universities, the usual post-graduation path of a Dalton Boy. You are going to Julliard so your path was altered to reflect that. It was our fault for not doing it sooner. However, if you go down that sheet you will notice that you still must earn a 90% or better on your calculous final.”_

_Blaine found it but something else was off “Why are my community service hours owed so much lower?”_

_“Because you did a lot at McKinley, but since community service is not a graduation requirement there they were not part of your transcript. Your uncle went to McKinley the other day and asked the principal about them.”_

_Charles broke in because he knew what his son was thinking but not saying “He went in the capacity of your lawyer and not your uncle, that’s why she gave him the information.”_

_“We’re talking about Sue. She wouldn’t have cared.” Blaine continued down the page until he came to another question “What is the Dalton Day project?” Dr. Shepard excused himself and left the room which only amped up Blaine’s curiosity “What’s going on?”_

_Mr. Montgomery looked over at Blaine’s parents, who signaled he had their support “Even though your plan is different, you still needed a major project and that will be yours. Blaine, there’s no other way to put this…Dalton is in trouble.”_

_“What do you mean by trouble?”_

_“Parents and alumni are very unhappy about the scandal to put it mildly. Several parents have given notice of their intentions not to send their sons back next year. We’re going to use Dalton Day to demonstrate that even with what happened, the achievements of our students have not suffered. Your acceptance to Julliard plus the Warblers making Nationals are two achievements we want to highlight and you are in charge of that. When you get back from College Visit Week, you will sit with the Dalton Day committee and finalize your plan.”_

_Blaine basically stopped listening when Mr. Montgomery said Dalton was in trouble. After an internal debate, he knew what he had to do. He took a breath and silently begged for forgiveness._

_“Mom, Dad, Mr. Montgomery…I’m Wolverine.”_

**Back on the Beach**

“Thanks for not saying anything.” Blaine had told Sam about what he’d done, but not why. Even with as much as he trusted him, this was a Dalton problem.

“Here” Sam handed him a bottle of water. He looked like he needed it. “When are you going to tell the guys?”

“Saturday, I want David and Wes to be there.”

“That makes sense. I mean, how surprised were you when Wes’ dad said he not only knew about Fight Club but David had been the one to tell him?”

“With all that we did to keep things secret, pretty fucking surprised but not as surprised as Mr. Montgomery and my parents were when I showed them the bank accounts. David may have figured out we were funding his scholarship with Fight Club money, but I’m sure he had no idea how much money was involved.”

“Ok, I have one final question. What was your dad’s reaction to all of this?”

Blaine took another drink of water but couldn’t hide his smug smile “What do you think?”

**Flashback: Friday AM Andersons’ Family Room continued**

_“Dad…Dad…Dad…”_

_“Charles, let him breathe.” Pam’s tone of voice made it known that she wasn’t happy with her husband’s reaction to Blaine’s revelation. She wasn’t particularly happy with her son either._

_“Dad…”_

_“Fine” Charles freed Blaine from his embrace but kept his arm around his shoulders._

_That didn’t help “I can’t believe you are proud of the fact Blaine knocked that Hunter boy out. This is not the time for all that macho, my son can beat up your son, crap!”_

_“Mom, Dad’s not proud of the fact I knocked Hunter out, who by the way was 25 and not a boy.” Both father and son knew that wasn’t true, but Blaine was trying to help. “My CFO father is proud of how I handled the money.”_

_“My son!”_

**Back on the Beach**

Sam laughed as he could see Mr. A doing that. Blaine had said on several occasions that the improvement in the relationship with his father was beyond anything he could have imagined. Not only did they communicate better but his dad now had no issues being tactical, something Blaine craved. Touches, hugs and even kisses to the top or side of the head were the new norm between the two. Would he have loved Blaine to follow in his footsteps and join him at Ford? Of course, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t ridiculously proud of the path his son was about to embark on.

Beat headed up the sand toward them but stopped, smiled, turned around and headed back to the waves. “Shouldn’t we be going back to the house?” Sam asked.

“He’s got plenty of time. His mom knows by now to time his return to the sunset.” Blaine could see Sam was still unsure “Trust me, we want him as relaxed as possible before he has to deal with Jackie.”

“Why? She seemed great, a little over the top maybe…”

“No, Jackie Fredrickson is not a little over the top. She is over the top of over the top…up and down Mt. Everest over the top…from Earth to Mars and back over the top…”

Sam interrupted him since it was apparent Blaine could go on for quite a while “But she’s one of the vice-presidents at a record company. Shouldn’t she be like that since her job is to deal with artists?”

“Yes, and she is extraordinarily good at what she does. You’ll see that when we go into the studio. Drum’s problem is she doesn’t have an off switch. She’s like that all the time, including when she insisted we call her Jackie.”

“Well, that explains a lot, like why we’re recording your Italian song with a full orchestra.”

“Tell me about it. I’ve already been thinking of ways to slip Drum a tranquilizer.”

**Flashback: Friday AM 2 hours later: Mr. Montgomery gone, joined by Uncle Robert and Xavier**

_“You called JACKIE? Are you INSANE? Does Drum know?”_

_Charles laughed as he watched his wife roll her eyes at the memory “We told Beat we wanted to tell you so don’t get mad that he didn’t say anything, and let’s just say his reaction was similar to yours.”_

_**mini flashback in a flashback* “You called my fucking MOTHER? Are you fucking INSANE? Does Bud fucking know this? Fuck, she’s never going to fucking let up on him now. Oh, sorry about the f-bombs Mrs. A.”**_

_“Blaine, why did you never say anything about Jackie offering you a development deal?”_

_“Because you can’t perform in amateur, high school show choir competitions and have a professional recording contract. I told her to talk to me after graduation. Actually, I had pretty much forgotten about it until the YouTube videos and Drum said she had brought it up.” The adults in the room side-eyed each other but didn’t say anything. It was unnerving. “What’s going on?”_

_“We…” his mother started but it was obvious she couldn’t find the words._

_His dad jumped into help but wasn’t much better “All of us…”_

_Fortunately, Uncle Robert always told him the truth, even when he didn’t want to hear it “We all thought it was that Alpha Gay shit. That you hadn’t said anything because you were suppressing your talent.”_

_“Suppressing? Seriously? I wasn’t that bad.” Ok, he didn’t believe that either. “So, why did you guys involve Jackie?” Blaine wasn’t happy that no one answered him yet again. “I take it this is the part that’s going to piss me off.”_

_“Probably” Charles admitted “Xavier and I are going to California with you. He and Jackie have already begun the process of registering some of your songs…Blaine say something.”_

_“Xavier’s not my lawyer, Uncle Rob is.” Blaine knew what he said didn’t really matter but being pissed was overriding the logic part of his brain._

_“I’m going to Paris. I asked Xavier to do this for me.”_

_**mini flashback in a flashback* “Are you sure about this, Robert?”_

_“Yes, Dmitri has wanted to move back to Europe to be closer to family and he’s the only one of the guys with actual “connections”. It’s better that he’s not working with Cooper as the Security & Investigation company expands to New York. Xavier, it makes sense that I’m the one to go. I can check on the set-up and meet Sugar when she comes from Ireland to spend time with Rosa.”_

_“All of this to watch Julien and keep the bastard away from Sebastian. Robert, I…I don’t know how to thank you. I know I tried to distance myself from you…”_

_“If something happened to Sebastian and I did nothing well, let’s not go there. Plus, you called me Robert and not Al. With where you and I started, I’d say that’s a good thing.”**_

_Blaine could tell there was more he’d have to find out later, but right then he wanted different answers. “Fine, whatever, but why did you have to fuck with my Spring Break?”_

_“Blaine…”_

_“Mom, I’m not going to apologize. Bas and I already had to give up Paris. LA was supposed to be time for us to relax while Sam and Drum got to know each other better. This wasn’t time for lawyers and Jackie and me being pissed because you stole my music. Bas is going to be pissed as I am.” And then…“What else are you not telling me?”_

_Xavier really, really didn’t want to do this “Sebastian knows.”_

_Blaine’s expression went blank. Then he stood, walked out to the hallway that led to the kitchen and yelled “Sebastian Alexander Smythe, get your ass in here.”_

** Back on the Beach **

“I bet you got punished that night for yelling at him like that.”

Blaine had been watching Beat, but that comment got his attention “Um, excuse me?”

“Come on, Blaine. Number one, you have a sex shop connection you call Santa on your speed dial. Number two, you and Seb are not shy with the PDAs or innuendos. And number three, _Song-that-needs-a-title_ has the line _This could get rough_. No one believes you two are timid in the bedroom.”

Oh, Sam wanted to go there, huh? “Sam? Do you want to be the bestie I talk with about my sex life? Did you want to know I wrote that song for my boyfriend after the night I went all Dom on him? Or that Bas and I own every piece of equipment Jerimiah told Rachel about? I was not the one punished Friday night.”

Sam knew by the cockiness in both Blaine’s tone and demeanor that he meant what he said “Oh, wow…I guess…I thought…well, you know, he’s _Sebastian Smythe_ and you’re…”

“A 50’s Acapella Dreamboat? But remember, I’m also Wolverine. Maybe I do have mental issues. I thought I was bipolar once. Maybe I have multiple personalities.”

“Blaine…”

“I know, I know…not crazy just crazy talented. I think I’m trying to justify in my mind why the adults in my life thought I had to be handled like a 10 year old.”

“Have Seb bring some of your sex toy collection and show your dad. That should get the point across that you are no longer his little boy.” It was astonishing that they didn’t fall over with as hard as they were laughing. When Sam caught his breath, he asked “Are you still pissed Seb and Mike decided not to come until Tuesday?”

“I was until I realized they’re doing it so you and Drum had some time to get to know each other better.”

“And the Ultra Exclusive VIP pass to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter that Seb and the other Warblers got us didn’t hurt.”

“I think that was more of a thank you since Monday is the 6 month anniversary of Nightbird and the Blonde Chameleon rescuing McKinley’s Nationals trophy.”

“Maybe we should be thanking them. Six months ago you were in the midst of a debilitating depression and I was living at the Hudmel’s, missing my family and had no idea of what my future might be. Now, we’re sitting here on a private beach in Malibu about to go into a studio to record songs you’ve written.”

“For a psychiatrist and neurologist to analyze.”

“Also, because they are incredible songs and you’re sending _Sebastian’s Heart_ and _Song-that-needs-a-title_ to Julliard so they understand how you want them to sound at the concert.”

Blaine dropped his head and let out quite the groan “I can’t believe that was one of the songs I submitted. I’m the one that’s always bitching that no one listens to lyrics anymore.” He scooted next to Sam and put his head on his shoulder “I’m sorry I’m such a downer and I’m even more sorry you got drug into this.”

“Are you kidding? Thanks to you, not only am I going to realize my dream of my abs on the side of a bus, I’m the lead guitarist and musical director of the Yellow Lizards.”

“You’re going to be in a magazine not on a bus and I thought our band’s name was the Blams.”

“You are Blaine Anderson. Your back up band, my band, is the Yellow Lizards.”

“We’ll see, but why the name change?”

“It was a Sueism for the Blonde Chameleon. I thought it sounded like a cool band name.”

“It is but what the hell is a Sueism?”

“Like calling all Kurt’s jealousy crap Alpha Gay, Artie started calling the weird shit Principal Sylvester says Sueisms. It explains everything without having to go too deep.”

“True. You know, I’m glad Artie’s coming to New York next week. I didn’t know he was accepted to the Brooklyn Film Institute like Drum. I would have invited him sooner if I had.”

“Dude, he was so excited when your uncle talked his mom into letting him go. I know Artie had issues with your parents paying for his trip, so I held up the keys to my truck and told him not to fight it. He wouldn’t win. Speaking of McKinley people coming to New York, did you remember to tell everyone that Tina and Amanda will be there on Saturday before they go to Rhode Island?”

Blaine tried to sit up but Sam wrapped his arm around him and held him there. Sam could tell the conversation had been getting to him, but it was one they needed to have. “Yes, I told all of the Ivy Leaguers that Tina and Amanda were going to visit Brown. They promised not to say anything. How did you know other Ivy League students feel differently about Brown?”

“Gilmore Girls. The episode where Rory tells her grandparents she’s going to Yale and they want to call their friends and rub it in their faces since their grandson couldn’t even get into Brown. You also told me that for a Fight Club consequence you made sure some dude didn’t get into Harvard and had to go to Brown.”

“That’s right.” Blaine had forgotten about that. He hoped that guy wasn’t part of one of the families that had issues with Dalton. He’d talk to Wes about it. “I’m not too worried about Tina and Amanda since their only there for the one night. I’m more worried about how everyone is going to deal with Kurt being included in our activities. Sam, I know you don’t like the idea but I talked with Doc, Cooper and Cam. We all thought it was for the best. He would be much more likely to do something stupid if he felt shut out.”

“You’re right, I don’t like it but Finn will be there and that should help. I know you wish it was Puck.”

“I do since I still don’t trust Finn but Puck’s in Paris.” He hadn’t told Sam that Puck was staying in Paris for good. He wanted to give Puck the chance to tell Finn first. “Kurt said he accepted that Bas and I are truly together and we’re not going to behave differently for his benefit.”

“I still wish you would have gone all Taylor Swift on him when Coop asked you to sing the other night. You know a little, _We are never ever ever getting back together_. Oh, you, me and Beat should work on a song here so you can have it ready for New York when you need it. Why are you laughing?”

“Because I missed this when we didn’t talk this week. But, I’m also sad that after we all get back from New York, Schuster is going to insist on us becoming mortal enemies until Nationals.”

“Blaine, I honestly believe the suspension scared him. That and Rachel screaming at him for 20 minutes when she came on Friday. Also, the fact that we’re having a “Ground Rules” meeting with everyone in New York will help.”

“If you say so.”

Sam watched Beat finally find a wave he wanted to ride, so he didn’t have much time. “I do. I also say you and I should make a side bet. Like a Captain’s Challenge.”

“Ok, but it can’t be who places higher because we technically have no control over that.”

“Agreed. How about if we each pick something that the other has to get put into their routine somehow? Nothing big but has to be noticeable.”

“Agreed. And the prize?”

“I don’t know. Right now, the idea of kicking Warbler ass after losing both Sectionals and the Diva-off sounds good.”

“Ok, we can come back to it and the Warblers are going to be kicking your ass…again. I can tell by your face you already know what you want us to do.”

“I can say the same for you. Whatcha got?”

“Sugar gets a solo. At least 4 lines.”

He wasn’t expecting that, but Sam countered with “Duet.” It would fit into what he, Holly, Artie and Tina had discussed as a possible theme.

“Agreed. And for me?”

“Country, at least 4 lines.”

Like with the New Directions, Blaine knew the Warblers could fit that in “Agreed.”

“What did you agree to, Bud?” Beat asked as he had finally joined them.

Since they had said the challenge was only for them, Blaine came up with “That you, me and Sam should write a Taylor Swift-style song for me to have ready for Kurt in case I need it in New York.”

“When he needs it in New York” Sam corrected as he got up off the blanket.

Blaine tried to get up as well, but he was blocked “What’s going on guys?”

Sam went and pulled an envelope out of the bag he brought “We’re going back to the house. You stay here and read this.”

“What’s going on guys?” Blaine repeated.

“Bud, your dad gave us that to give you and said you were going to need time alone to deal with it.”

“I don’t understand.”

Sam and Beat looked at each other, silently wondering if the person they both loved like a brother was ready for this. The only thing that made them feel better was that they could keep an eye on him from the house. “Blaine” Sam said as calmly as possible “That letter is from Tommy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t know if the amateur/no recording contract rule is an actual rule to participate in high school show choir competitions. I did not come across anything in my research but it fit the story. I do know the Ultra Exclusive Harry Potter pass is not a real thing but sounded like something rich people could buy to avoid lines.
> 
> Gilmore Girls Episode 3x18 is the one Sam mentions.
> 
> I noted a few chapters back that things were going to be happening for Blaine that may feel overdramatic, possibly unrealistic (but as a commenter said would fit in with the Alpha Gay theme). The next few chapters will further that storyline. I will always give my reasoning if you want to ask. However, the end of next chapter has what could be considered a natural ending if you choose not to continue. As always, thank you for reading and comments are more than welcomed.


	45. Scorched Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected message from his father brings Blaine back to the fall-out from the Intervention and the damage done. Already on edge, he reads Tommy’s letter only to realize that it could change everything, including his relationship with Sebastian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 90% of this chapter is a flashback, but since it was so much I didn't put it in italics.
> 
> The song in this chapter has had lyrics changed to fit the story and is performed in an alternate manner (think acoustic Teenage Dream).
> 
> Warning: Talk of past hate crime and mental issues/brain trauma.

" _Blaine” Sam said as calmly as possible “That letter is from Tommy.”_

He didn’t know how long stared at the envelope in his hand, but Sam and Beat were gone and there were the first hints of sunset highlighting the sky. Blaine finally summoned the courage to open it only to find yet another envelope, this one with a note attached to the front.

_Son,_

_The first thing I want to make clear is no one read Tommy’s letter. The next thing is, to my knowledge, no one has contacted Tommy’s family since the sentencing from the attack per your request. The letter was sent through legal channels to Xavier who gave it to me. However, it was my idea to have the boys give this to you._

_I know I am not your favorite person right now but I only did what I thought was in your best interest. Thank you for allowing Jackie and her agent friend to talk to the lawyers tomorrow. Enjoy Harry Potter._

_I love you and am so incredibly proud of you,_  
_Dad_

Blaine knew he should have told Sam about the fall-out from the Intervention, but he had been enjoying his denial. His dad’s note reminded him that he no longer had an option since he and Xavier weren’t flying out in the morning. The anger that had overcome him on Friday evening had dissipated but not enough to fix the mess he left behind.

**Flashback: Friday Evening**

The Intervention as it was called had pretty much imploded the further along it went. It got to the point that Blaine had to get out of there. He knew it hurt Sebastian, and freaked out his mom, but he decided to ride his motorcycle to Lima to clear his head.

He had gone to the Berry’s first since they had not made it to the Intervention. Despite everyone’s best efforts, they heard Rachel had gone missing but not that she had been found until she showed up at the house. Blaine didn’t want to sound selfish but he hoped they had cut through the drama before he got there.

“Did you know what they were doing?” Blaine asked the moment the door was opened, not giving them a chance to even say “Hello”.

Leroy pulled him in and led him to the couch. Hiram was not surprised when he sat next to Blaine and put his arm around him. His husband had made it clear on several occasions that he had unofficially adopted Blaine as Rachel’s twin brother. “I take it this is about what happened at your house earlier?” Blaine didn’t say anything which gave Hiram his answer. “No, we didn’t know.”

“I think your parents left us out of the loop for this very reason” Leroy told him. “We don’t have a stake in what’s happening but they knew you can talk to us about anything. Hiram and I are both sorry we didn’t make it to Westerville. Now, do you want to tell us what got you so upset?”

An hour later Blaine pulled into Breadstix and went around to the back to park his Harley. Talking with the Berrys had helped. They made him see that everyone hadn’t lied to him but had gathered information until it was the right time to talk about what they found. Were some of the ways they went about getting that information questionable? Yes, and it was right for him to be upset with that. They also reminded him that Sebastian told him what he could so Blaine should stop being an ass and go have dinner with his cute boyfriend.

After securing his bike, helmet and gloves, he walked in through the kitchen. He didn’t want to necessarily confront Cooper but did want to know why he hadn’t been at the house that morning. He could have used an ally. Plus, he wanted to find out what Burt Hummel meant when he left a voicemail apologizing for not being able to see him but that he had talked to Cooper.

Instead of finding his brother he found Finn and Kurt looking out into the dining area, talking in whispers. Blaine snuck around behind them and immediately saw what they were talking about.

“Kurt, are you sure you don’t know that guy Rachel and Sebastian are sitting with?”

“He looks familiar but I just can’t place it. Do you know what the hell Rachel is doing with the Meerkat?”

Blaine couldn’t help himself “Ouch! Kurt, I’m crushed. I thought for sure you would remember the guy I planned on marrying for his Gap discount.” He didn’t comment on the second part because he didn’t know how the two of them wanted to handle their burgeoning BFF status.

Kurt was so startled he practically fell over when he turned and saw Blaine standing behind him. Blaine who had obviously been riding his motorcycle…wearing tight jeans and his leather jacket, his curls tossed after being freed from his helmet…Stop staring and say something! “Blaine, you scared me.”

“That was the idea. Do either of you know where Cooper is?”

"He’s out with your parents” Finn told him, then he put some of what Blaine had said together “Wait, Rachel and Sebastian are talking to the Gap guy Thad was laughing about at Mr. Schue’s wedding?”

“They sure are.” Blaine gave him a wink and walked out to the dining area. He wished he could have seen Kurt’s face when he remembered Jerimiah but hearing him screech “He sells Blaine sex toys?!” was enough.

Sebastian heard Kurt as well, causing him to turn and see Blaine walking toward the table. He was nervous but he stood to greet him, only to sigh with relief when Blaine practically melted into his arms

“Are you ok?”

“I am now.”

They didn’t realize how long they stood there holding each other until “Um, earth to Seblaine. Seblaine come in please.”

“Cute, Ray” Sebastian said to Rachel as they sat down.

“I thought it was. Now Blaine, I can see why Jerimiah was your first crush. I would have definitely sung an inappropriate Robin Thicke song in the middle of the mall for him.”

“Oh my God, I’m sorry Jerimiah. Bas, you better get control of your new bestie.”

“Never. I like her feisty side.”

“It’s fine, Blaine. If you think about it, it’s kind of funny considering where I work now.”

Jerimiah’s response put Blaine at ease “I’m glad you can laugh about it.”

“I can. So, Rachel, are you ready?”

“Absolutely!”

Blaine didn’t get a chance to ask where they were going until they were already out the door “They’re going to the shop about 20 miles out of town. Jerimiah has a friend that works there” Sebastian explained.

“This is too weird.”

“Too weird that Rachel Berry is going to a sex shop or that we’re her connection?”

“Both” Blaine answered as he subtly dropped his hand under the table and then not so subtly squeezed Sebastian’s upper thigh “You know, we could get out of here and start our night of debauchery early.”

Blaine’s voice didn’t change, but when he moved his hand to cup his crotch, Sebastian steadied himself. He had no idea what Blaine was going to do when he found out “No debauchery tonight, B. All of the New Directions are at Sugar’s getting ready for their Regionals tomorrow. Rosa came down to cook them one last Good Luck dinner. And I heard your parents say that they are staying over to watch Sam and Sugar tomorrow.”

“Are you kidding me?”

Blaine throwing up his hands in frustration was not exactly the response Sebastian expected, but at least it stopped the activity beginning between his legs. Of course, that really didn’t mean anything considering Blaine could make him hard in mere moments with just that one certain tone “Raincheck in LA?”

“That’s going to be difficult considering you won’t be there until Tuesday. You still haven’t explained why you did that.” Sebastian reached down, pulled up a gift bag from by where Rachel had sat and set it on the table. When Blaine saw what was in there, it took everything within him not to cry “Bas?”

“You, Sam and Beat need time together alone. I thought it would be a good idea for them to form a bond before we all go to New York and throw Santana into the mix. We already know from the Mercedes incident that she doesn’t share you well. I talked to Mike and he agreed. The only hard decision was selecting between Harry Potter and Disney. I hope I chose correctly.”

Even though they were in Cooper’s restaurant, they were more than aware of their surroundings so Blaine restrained himself from smashing his lips into Sebastian’s. “Unequivocally. Now, I hate to change the subject but did you talk with Cam and Coop about Kurt?”

“I did. Cooper made sense when he said that even though Burt found out about what Kurt did at Dalton he couldn’t fire him. Think about it. Kurt could take him to court saying that Cooper forced him to work here to pay back the $10,000 then fired him when what he was blackmailing with went away.”

“Hold up, Burt found out what Kurt did?”

“Cooper didn’t tell you?”

“No, but Burt called and apologized he couldn’t meet with me. I’m assuming he was part of the Intervention.”

“I don’t know but I do know Burt is in a bad place. My dad gave him a copy of Hunter’s testimony.”

“No shit? Maybe I shouldn’t have fired your dad.”

Ok, that was new information “You fired my dad?”

“He was my lawyer and broke attorney/client privilege by talking to my parents without permission. To be fair I fired _Al Motta_ and Doc as well.”

“Oh B” Sebastian sighed and shook his head “I get why you fired my dad and the fact that you fired your uncle is astounding, but Dr. Shepard? You really liked him.”

“I did, but I told him after what happened with you and _Cough Syrup_ that I would fire him if he broke confidentiality again. I’m not going to report him to the state board like I threatened but I don’t trust him anymore. However, I did have a chance to talk to him about Coop and Cam’s suggestion for dealing with Kurt before everything happened.”

“I talked to my therapist too and I see their point of including him in our group activities but I’m worried about Ray. She had already said he could stay with her. Would Finn have to stay there?”

“Yeah, Cam said Finn would be Kurt’s shadow. We’d also give Santana and Mercedes the option of staying at my family’s apartment or a hotel.”

“I just wish Cam would still be with you until at least we came back to Ohio.”

“Bas, Cam was not with me to protect me from Kurt. He was with me because my attackers had not been found. They’re in jail now and Cam is the best person to handle the Security & Investigation expansion to New York since Dmitri is staying in Paris.”

“I still can’t believe my dad set all of that up just to keep tabs on Julien, but I have a question. Isn’t Dmitri the one guy with the actual connections?”

“Yes, but he also wanted to be closer to family.”

“And Puck knew all of this when he decided to stay in Paris?”

“He did but are you surprised that Noah Puckerman would want to work with the mob? You didn’t tell Rachel, right?”

“No, she needs to hear it from Puck or Finn.”

Blaine gave Sebastian thigh another squeeze, this one on the innocent side “Like how it was with what my parents told you. They had to tell me.”

“Is this why you’re here with me and haven’t said a word to your parents or Cooper?”

“No, I want to talk to Cooper but I should tell you I kind of fired my dad too. He’s not coming to LA but Jackie called an agent friend of hers and she’s going to meet with the lawyer. One thing my parents got right is that the songs I’ve written should be registered before I begin playing them in public.”

“And you trust Beat’s mom?”

“Yes, she’s one of the top record executives in the industry and she’d never do anything to hurt Drum. He went through too much when she divorced his dad.”

“That was a mess, how it played out in the headlines.”

“They didn’t call it the _Billion Dollar Divorce_ for nothing. It’s why his family hid his identity and it took him so long to tell them he’s gay. Every time he had a chance some new crisis happened in the media.”

Their conversation came to a halt when Sebastian’s phone went off “It’s Trent.”

“Ok, while you get that I’m going to go lay down the law to Kurt.”

“B…”

“Like we were talked about before, he needs to hear this from me.”

When Blaine got to the kitchen he found the manager to ask to talk with Kurt in Cooper’s office. While he went to find someone to cover Kurt, Blaine motioned to Finn to join him. “What’s up?” Finn asked as he shut the door behind him.

“Real quick, what’s going on with Burt? I know he found out that it was Kurt that used his name with the Head Master.”

“He was pissed but now I think he’s heartbroken. He didn’t think Kurt was that kind of person.”

“Yeah, join the club.”

With that out of the way, Blaine and Finn fell silent as they waited for Kurt but it made one thing clear. Blaine was nowhere near ready to trust Finn but knew he had to if this was going to work. By the time Kurt joined them in the office the tension between the two was palpable. “Blaine, Don said you wanted to talk to me?”

“Come in and have as seat, Kurt. And lock the door.”

Kurt did what was asked and then glanced over at Finn, hoping to get some sort of read on the situation but there was none. So of course, he jumped to the wrong conclusion “You can’t make Cooper fire me.”

Blaine began twisting his bracelet, hoping the thought of Sebastian would help calm his annoyance. He wanted to just say _fuck it_ but had to consider the bigger picture “Will you shut up for once and let me say what I’m going to say before going into bitch mode?”

Finn jumped in when Kurt didn’t head Blaine’s warning and opened his mouth to respond “Dude, you want to hear this.” Kurt didn’t answer but sat back into the couch and crossed his arms in his patented defensive move…

…Which totally pissed Blaine off and that was not good considering the day he had had “Fine. You know what, I was going to try and be cool about this but now not so much. I know you have an audition at NYADA and have some fucked up fantasy that I am going to follow you there. That is never going to happen since I have already committed to Julliard.”

“Blaine…” was all Kurt said as Blaine’s expression showed how displeased he was with the interruption.

“Wise decision.” Blaine stopped and counted to 10 before continuing. Damn, he wished he could punch something! “Rachel told me she invited you to stay with her while you’re in New York. That puts up a lot of road blocks since we are not about to exclude her from any activities we planned. So, I am offering you a choice. Number 1, you stay with Rachel and we will include you in whatever we do.”

“There’s got to be a catch.”

“Oh, there are several. First and foremost, Finn is your shadow. You will go absolutely nowhere without him. He will also be staying at the loft and don’t worry, I’m finding Santana and possibly Mercedes alternate housing for the week.”

“Ok? And?” Kurt could feel there was more. So far this had been too good to be true.

“If you say or do one thing to sabotage anything I do that week, especially my concert, you will pay consequences. I will assure you will never be admitted into any school in New York, you will never be hired by any fashion house and will be rejected from any audition you ever go on. I will make sure you will never be able to sign a lease or sublet any apartment in any borough in New York. Essentially, I will make sure you are banned from the city you have dreamed of living in your whole life.”

“You can’t do that!” Kurt screamed, rising from the couch to go at Blaine but Finn blocked him.

“Yes, he can and he also could have taken you out with one move. Stop being stupid and listen!”

“Thank you, Finn.” Blaine went and unlocked the door and peeked out to get someone’s attention “Kurt, before you make your decision you should realize that it won’t only be you, me, Finn and the girls. Bas, Sam, Artie, Tina, Amanda, all the Senior Warblers…and let’s not forget your two favorite people Wes and David, will all be in and out of the city that week.” He tried not to laugh as Kurt’s face dropped showing that he had obviously forgotten the former Warblers went to Columbia.

A knock on the door brought them all back to attention “You wanted to see me, Blaine?”

“Yes, Vincent, come in. Kurt, I am offering you a second choice. Since you are actually auditioning at NYADA, you’ll need to be in the city for at least five days…2 travel, 2 to practice with the accompaniment and audition day itself. If you agree to not stay at the loft I will put you up in a suite at the Plaza. I will pay all your expenses including meals and spa treatments. I will get you tickets to Wicked and Hamilton. I will pay for a meal at the best French restaurant in the city. I will provide limousine service for wherever you want to go. I’ll even pay for a guest. Chandler perhaps?”

Kurt had wondered if Blaine had heard about Chandler. Guess he had his answer. “And I suppose the catch here is Finn and I can’t see the rest of you?”

“Oh no, Finn will be staying with Rachel no matter what. Vincent here will be staying with you but you are correct in that you can’t come near the rest of us. I know you might need some time to contemplate my offers but let me tell you a little about Vincent first. He is a former Army Ranger who knows 7 different forms of martial arts and has black belts in 4 of them. He won a silver medal in the 2004 Olympics in boxing. And most importantly, if you attempt to go anywhere near me or anyone else I care about while you’re in New York, he has my permission to stop you by any means necessary. Do you understand?”

Considering his dad had basically said Cooper had told him the same thing, Kurt more than understood.

He didn’t get a chance to respond due to Cooper’s arrival “Guys, will you please give me a chance to talk to my brother?” It took no time at all for Kurt, Finn and Vincent to do just that. “Blainey, my piano player called and said he’d be late. Can you go sing something to keep the customers happy until he gets here?”

What Cooper failed to notice was that his little brother was in no mood to honor that request “Where were you this morning?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Coop. You had to know what Mom and Dad had planned. I needed you and you weren’t there. Why?”

“Blaine…”

“Why?!”

Charles came into the office and shut the door “What the hell is going on with you two?” he asked his sons. “The customers could hear you yelling, Blaine.”

At that moment Blaine didn’t care “Was Cooper supposed to be at the house his morning, yes or no?”

“Son…”

“Yes or no?”

“No.”

He wasn’t expecting that answer “Why not?”

Cooper could see that his dad was going to say something, but he stopped him “Blaine, when you were hurt in the attack, I left practically the moment you woke up. I didn’t stick around to see if anything was wrong because you were talking ok. Sure, you had some memory loss…”

“Wait, you think I’m brain damaged from my attack? What’s happening with me is some 4 years down the road musical savant kind of shit? It doesn’t work that way.”

“I know I just felt so guilty that I wasn’t there for you then…”

“That you weren’t there for me today? You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!”

Blaine started to leave but his father stopped him “Son, please. Let’s talk this out.”

“Sorry, can’t do it, Dad. Cooper asked me to go sing and since I’m brain damaged and have all these songs running through my head, I better go.”

“Blaine…” Charles called out as his younger son brushed past him. He couldn’t chase him because right that moment he was the only thing keeping a devastated Cooper upright. He was going to have to trust Sebastian to take care of Blaine.”

Rachel had just gotten back from her excursion with Jerimiah when Blaine walked into the dining room and headed straight to the stage. Sebastian could tell something was wrong but after the events of the day thought it best to let it remain in the family for at least the time being.

As Blaine began to play an intro, he noticed Rachel’s expression change “Ray, what is it?”

“If Blaine’s about to play the song I think he is, it’s Brody’s favorite song.”

“Where the hell did that come from?”

“He has just been around more lately. At first, we were able to avoid each other but lately it seems like he’s everywhere.”

“Is he stalking you?”

“No, and he’s always respectful. It’s just…”

“Creepy?”

“Ha ha, no. The timing’s weird considering Finn is coming to town. Now stop talking and watch your boy.”

 _When you were here before_  
_Couldn't look you in the eye_  
_You're just like an angel  
_ _Your skin makes me cry_

 _You float like a feather_  
_In a beautiful world_  
_And I wish I was special_  
_You're so very special_

“Bastian, you need to do something.” Rachel whispered to him as Blaine was obviously in the throes of a meltdown. He knew she was right but he had to wait for the right moment.

 _But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo._  
_What the hell am I doing here?_  
_I don't belong here._

Rachel smiled when Sebastian took over and started walking toward the stage. She was going to have to get them to sing this at CallBacks.

 _(Sebastian) I don't care if it hurts_  
_I want to have control_  
_I want a perfect body_  
_I want a perfect soul_

Sebastian joining him was enough to have Blaine focus on what he was doing and not his anger, at least for the time being.

 _I want you to notice_  
_When I'm not around_  
_You're so very special_  
_I wish I was special_

 _(Blaine & Sebastian) But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo._  
_What the hell am I doing here?_  
_I don't belong here._

 _He's running out again,_  
_He's running out_  
_He's run run run run_

_Run_

_Whatever makes you happy_  
_Whatever you want_  
_You're so veryspecial_  
_I wish I was special_

 _But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo,_  
_What the hell am I doing here?_  
_I don't belong here._  
_I don't belong here._

Sebastian came around and took Blaine’s hand, helping him stand so they could take a bow considering they were receiving a standing ovation. “Good job choosing the clean version.”

“I’m pissed not irresponsible. Bas, get me out of here.”

“Fine, but we’re taking my car. You’re not riding your Harley like this.”

Blaine didn’t argue as Sebastian led him over to Rachel “Ray, here are my keys, get Blaine to my car but no driving. His nerves are bad enough.”

Rachel grabbed his collar and pulled him down to kiss his cheek (tip-toes weren’t enough for the two of them). Once she and Blaine were out the door, Sebastian headed over to Blaine’s family.

“Holly’s at the Motta’s with the New Directions, right?”

“Yes” Charles answered as he held on to Cooper “She’s been helping them with Regionals so they invited her to their dinner.”

“Mrs. A, call her and tell her to make sure all the New Directions are back in the kitchen or far family room. I want to get Blaine upstairs without seeing them, that includes Sugar and Sam. B would be horrified if he interrupted their preparation for tomorrow.”

Pam went to get her phone and Sebastian started to leave but was stopped when someone grabbed his arm. “Take care of him, Seb” Cooper’s voice cracking as he spoke.

“Always.”

** Back on the Beach **

There were only four words on the paper.

_I still love you_

The tears were immediate. Sobs were body wrenching. However, all the anger he held toward Cooper and his parents was gone. How could he be mad at them when he had been lying for months? It took several deep breaths to calm down and call the one person he thought could help.

“Aren’t you supposed to be on a beach in Malibu?”

“I am on a beach in Malibu. Are you alone?”

Santana didn’t like the sound of that “Yeah, Mercedes is at rehearsal and Rachel is still in Lima. Blaine, what’s going on.”

“You know how pissed you were when you found out about Tommy? How I refused to talk about him with you but told the guys?”

“Yes, but I swear, I really did let it go. I’ve learned that you tell people things when you’re ready.”

“I appreciate that but there was another reason I shut you out. Tana, you know Tommy only you know him by a different name.”

Santana flipped through names and faces in her mind, but had no idea who Blaine was talking about “What name, Blaine?”

** Flashback: 8 months **

Blaine sat in his car outside the unfamiliar house unsure of what to do. He was so lonely. Hell, Kurt had all but abandoned him the moment he got to New York. Eli paid attention to what he said, ok wrote. It was fun and breezy and sure he didn’t know what Eli looked like, but there was something so familiar about the things he said. Blaine wanted to find out more about him other than he liked pictures of lighthouses.

But he didn’t trust himself. His messaging with Eli had become more and more flirty as the days progressed. So much so that Blaine knew if he went into that house there was a high probability that he would cheat on Kurt. He pulled out his phone and scrolled down to Sebastian’s number. If he was going to cheat on Kurt it might as well be with Sebastian. Kurt would think that it was him anyway.

He put the phone back in his pocket like he did every time he thought of calling Sebastian. Deep down he knew that Sebastian could never be a one time thing and he wasn’t ready for that type of finality to his relationship with Kurt. Plus, there was something about Eli he was pulled to. When the front door opened Blaine understood exactly what it was.

“Tommy?”

“Oh god, Blaine. You’re even more beautiful than I could have imagined. Come on.”

Blaine didn’t know what happened but the next thing he knew he was in what seemed to be a guest room, staring into eyes he had dreamed of for years “Is it really you?”

“I promise. I promise it’s me.”

Tommy leaned in and kissed him. It was simple and sweet, like the one other kiss they shared over 3 years earlier, but that didn’t last long. Blaine felt himself hit the wall, Tommy pinning his hands above his head while kissing him with the hottest kiss…well, ever. It was a struggle, but he broke his hands free, lifted Tommy’s shirt and groaned as he felt taunt, defined abs.

“Blaine, I can’t believe you’re here. I’ve missed you so much.”

Something about what Tommy said didn’t sit right so he pulled away. “I’ve been here, Tommy. You’re the one that disappeared. Uncle Rob found your family but when they wouldn’t let us see you we thought you were dead.”

“I was already gone. I left for New York the day I turned 18.”

“Was it that bad?”

“Bad enough I changed my name so they couldn’t find me, although I am surprised that Cam didn’t.”

“You changed your name?”

“Yes, but please let me explain before you say anything.”

“What are you talking about?”

“My name is Brody…Brody Weston.”

**Back on the Beach**

“Santana? Are you still there?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise?
> 
> I know this was long for me but there was a lot to tie-up before LA and NYC.
> 
> Creep (clean): Hazelwood, Mike; Hammond, Albert; Greenwood, Colin; Greenwood, Jonathon; O’Brien, Edward; Selway, Philip; Yorke, Thomas 1992


	46. 8 Degrees of Blaine Anderson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Blaine, Sam and Beat are in California geeking out at Hogwarts, others back in Ohio are finalizing travel plans of their own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title is based on the game 7 Degrees of Kevin Bacon where you can name any actor and in 7 steps (by using shows/movies they were in) you get to the actor Kevin Bacon. I obviously needed 8.
> 
> I updated the tags since this has developed far beyond what I ever imaged, but if you are here you probably have noticed that.

**Sebastian & Rachel**

“No”

“Please”

“No”

“Why not?”

“What are you two arguing about?” Leroy asked his daughter and her new best friend, Sebastian Smythe. That was still pretty hard to wrap his head around but it seemed to be working, at least for now.

“Ray wants to drive my car” Sebastian told him.

“My daughter wants to drive that beautiful piece of German engineering that’s in the driveway?” Sebastian nodded so Leroy adjusted in his seat just enough to look Rachel straight in the eyes and said “No” before turning back to Sebastian “Are you going to at least give me a hint of why it’s so important my husband and I to go with you two to Los Angeles? I mean, we’re both excited at the chance to watch Blaine but I feel there’s something more.”

“Mr. Berry…”

“Leroy.”

“I’m sorry sir, it’s too soon. To answer your question, while developing a relationship with you and your husband is an important part of my new friendship with Ray…my boyfriend would kick my ass if I ruined his surprise.”

“Dad, it’s better to just go with it. Less headaches that way, or so Santana says. Bastian, is it still ok that my dads stay with us at your house tonight?”

“More than. Sierra, Izzy and Rosa left for Paris this morning, Blaine came to his senses so my dad is in LA and my mom is in New York with Mrs. A, which is unusual.”

“How so?”

“They are polar opposites. Mrs. A is totally laid back, except for her hatred of _the F word_ and my mother is an uptight French snob. No offense, Mr. Berry. My mother fully embraces who she is and I wouldn’t want her any other way.”

“Oh no, I understand. If you swap the word French with Jewish you would be describing my mother-in-law, only not in the kind way you spoke of your mother.”

“Bubbe Berry is a piece of work.” Rachel said knowing her dad was trying not to. “So, your dad did go to LA. What about Blaine’s?”

“Yes, Blaine called them both last night. While he acknowledged that he needed their help, he told them he was still pissed and they were more than willing to work with that. However, he's not ready to talk to Cooper or Dr. Shepard. That means Holly isn’t going and Trent’s mom is coming to talk with the doctors.” Sebastian stopped to check a text that had come in “Well, that was timing. It’s Trent and he needs to talk 911. May I?” They nodded so he went to the next room to make the call.

After he was gone, Leroy sat next to Rachel and put his arm around her “I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I actually like Sebastian…a lot. Those Dalton boy manners of his are quite refreshing, although I shouldn’t be surprised as Blaine is the same way.”

“I know, but isn’t it weird how well we get along, especially with everything that happened last year?”

“That’s a bit of an understatement.” He tightened his hold a little for this next part “Can I ask about where Kurt fits in all of this?”

“Honestly, I don’t know and that’s why Bastian and I are meeting Finn at Breadstix. Hopefully we can find out today whether Kurt is staying at the loft or is taking Blaine’s offer to put him up at the Plaza.”

** Sebastian & Rachel-Finn **

Before they got on to the business of discussing Kurt, there was something Sebastian had decided to tell Rachel and Finn without giving out too much information…like the homicidal manic Puck was staying in Paris to keep tabs on was his biological father.

“So, you and this Julien guy are related?” Finn asked. Puck called to say he was staying in Paris but couldn’t explain why. Finn had asked Cooper, but he reminded him that information on cases was given on a need to know basis. Cooper must have asked Sebastian to help explain.

“Yes, but before you ask, I won’t tell you how.”

“That’s ok and thank you for what you could say” and Finn meant that. Now he could get to what he really wanted to know. “Are you going to tell me what the hell is going on between the two of you?”

Rachel and Sebastian had already determined how they wanted to do this…the fun way. It worked with Blaine. “We’re working on becoming New York besties since neither of us have one there and Blaine will have like five” Rachel told him. “Trent is Bastian’s bestie bestie but he’s going to Harvard.”

“I don’t know Ray, if we keep this up we may have to drop the New York part.”

“I hope so. I mean, does Trent cuddle in bed with you and watch porn?”

“Not the cuddle part, but the watch porn part. However, he’s not as fun as his kinks are more of the Brittana variety. You know, your viewing preferences seem a little icky considering I just met one of your _dads_.”

“Icky?”

“Stop!” There was a lot of information Finn had to deal with…if he could get the image of Rachel watching gay porn out of his head. At least her talking with that Jerimiah guy made a little more sense. “What the hell?”

Rachel reached across the table and took his hand “I’m not going to tell you how it happened but Bastian and I have become…well, this. It’s kind of like Blaine and Santana, completely inexplicable but it works. Understand, we have only been working on this for three days and we can’t image what we’re going to be like by the time he gets to New York.”

“And you want me to tell Kurt, right?”

Sebastian couldn’t hide his Old Sebastian smirk and chuckle which earned him a _You’re not helping_ glare from Rachel. “Would you rather we told Hummel?” Finn let out a long sigh but felt better when Rachel gave his hand a squeeze, something Sebastian picked up on right away. He gave them a moment and pulled out his phone to see if the text he ignored was Trent having yet another panic attack, but instead it was a photo from Sam.

“That must be from Blaine for you to have a smile that big” Rachel said, but not letting go of Finn’s hand.

“Not from but of” Sebastian handed her his phone so she could see the photo of Blaine in a Hogwarts’ robe and a specific style of glasses with the tag _He’s Harry Frickin Potter_. “Hey, Ray? Can you take that back and show Coop?” She didn’t question his request even though she knew there was more behind it. She was right “You’re not going to New York to shadow your step-brother, are you? You’re going because you want to see if you can handle the city before you try to get her back.”

Finn let out a sigh that rivaled his earlier one “Am I that obvious?”

“Not to her. Even though most of my attention was on Blaine at the Sugar Shack, it was pretty clear that something was going on between you and her.”

“I know but all that crap had just happened with that slut Brody…”

“Hey, you can’t be calling Brody names anymore.”

“Did she tell you that?”

“No, Sam did.”

“Sam?”

“Sam told her and Blaine that people in their financial situations shouldn’t judge what desperate people do for money. Considering you and Ray found him in that strip club in Kentucky, I’m pretty sure you understand where he’s coming from. However, if you want to hate Brody because he put her health in danger by sleeping by with other women when he was sleeping with her, go for it.”

“I prefer to block out the part where they were sleeping together.”

“And now you know how I feel about B and Hummel.”

“So you know, I take full responsibility for how I acted toward Blaine. Kurt may have manipulated situations but that’s not an excuse.”

“You’re right, but I have no right to judge considering what I threatened to do to you. Just realize that tomorrow is not the time to try and talk to Blaine.”

“I get it. What I don’t understand is why I’m needed in LA?”

“Mr. A and my dad are arranging for all the Nationals hotel rooms for both the Warblers and New Directions. Holly was going to go but…well, you were here for Blaine’s meltdown with Cooper, and there was not a chance in hell Schuster would have been asked even if he wasn’t suspended. You’re the designated New Directions representative.”

“I get that, I don’t understand why they’re doing this for the New Directions in the first place.”

“Blaine’s uncle is paying because of Sugar, but he’s in Paris with Puck so my dad, and you, are going to take care of it. Robert talked it over with your crazy-ass principal. At first she said she would come but then said it should be you.”

“She probably decided not to come when she found out Sugar’s dad wouldn’t be there. Jake, Ryder and I are pretty sure she has a crush on him like she used to have on Cooper.”

“That’s not good.”

“What’s not good?” Rachel asked as she came back from the kitchen and handed Sebastian his phone.

“The fact that Sue has a crush on Al Motta” Finn told her.

“Why not? It has sure improved her attitude toward Glee Club.”

“Because Robert hit it off with Artie’s mom when he talked to her about Artie coming to New York” Sebastian informed them. “He went as far as to invite her to come next Friday to check out the Brooklyn Film Institute herself and then go to B’s concert with him.”

Rachel looked up at Finn and shook her head “He’s right. That’s not good.”

**Finn-Kurt**

“You have got to be fucking kidding? Rachel is my best friend, not that bastard’s! Hasn’t he taken enough from me?”

Finn made sure his bedroom door was shut before sitting back down in his desk chair “Kurt, control the screeching or Mom and Burt will hear you. And do you actually believe you have anything to say about Sebastian after the shit you pulled? The shit outlined in the legal document Sebastian’s dad gave to Burt? You forget, I’m one of the few people that know exactly what you did.”

Kurt told himself to calm down. Finn was talking to him again, even though most of the time he didn’t like what he was saying. “I’m sorry I raised my voice” he said as he took a seat on Finn’s bed. “What did Smythe say about what Clarington testified to?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?” Kurt still couldn’t believe that Sebastian hadn’t tried to kick his ass the other night at Breadstix.

“Sebastian admitted he got Clarington to make a statement, but his dad took the file away before he could read it and told him that he would take care of you. Your lucky he’s letting Burt handle it.”

“Lucky? My dad won’t talk to me. He won’t look at me, Finn. This is why I have to stay with Rachel when I’m in New York. If I can get my friends back on my side that will show Dad that I’m trying to be what Blaine calls the Old Kurt. The Kurt he misses.”

Finn ran his fingers thru his hair and tried to figure out how he was going to handle this. Screw it! Go big or go home, right? “Sam, Blaine and Sebastian are doing a photo shoot for Teen Vogue. The idea for the shoot was Santana’s and Blaine’s godmother liked it so much she personally ok’d it. Abercrombie has expressed interest in signing Sam as a model and if spread is as popular as everyone thinks it will be, Santana will probably be promoted.”

The fact that his jaw dropped so far was a good thing because it allowed Kurt to get air as it felt like he had had the wind knocked out of him. Ever since he found out he had another chance at NYADA, he had focused on handling his jealousy with Blaine. Hell, he had finally gotten to the point where he was willing to consider what people said about that _Alpha Gay_ crap might have some truth to it.

He wouldn’t be jealous of Sam, he was sure of that. Although he was good-looking enough to be one, modeling was not his dream. And even he had thought Abercrombie model, amongst other things, when looking at Sam’s abs.

But _Santana Lopez_ at Vogue? He knew Finn probably wasn’t lying about the photo shoot because when he called to make an appointment to see Isabelle, her assistant said she was busy Monday and Tuesday on a joint spread with Teen Vogue. Did this mean Isabelle was Blaine’s godmother?

“Kurt?” Finn couldn’t tell what Kurt was thinking, but he could tell there was a lot of it happening.

“Finn, I know you want me to say I’ll take Blaine’s offer, but I can’t. It’s too important to me to gain my dad’s trust back and I can’t do that if I do the easy thing and go stay at the Plaza.”

“I should have known.” Finn got up and went to open the door “I may be stuck making sure you don’t fuck things up for everyone else, but I am warning you right now. If you are stupid enough to do anything that ruins my chance to win back Rachel, we are done. Get out.”

**Kurt-Chandler**

“Are you sure you can handle seeing Rachel and Sebastian together? From what you told me, Finn won’t forgive you if you go off on them…or anyone for that matter.”

Kurt was thankful Chandler had agreed to meet him at the Lima Bean. Other than Brittany, he was the only one that would listen without judging him, although both of them were unafraid to tell him what they thought. He really wished they were going to be in New York next week, even if that meant Brittany would be with Santana. “I have to Chandler. I’m sure this is just a way for Smythe to get to me. When that doesn’t happen, I want to be there for Rachel when she figures out he’s only using her.”

“You really don’t think very highly of Sebastian, do you?”

“I don’t think highly of any of the Warblers.”

“See, that’s what I don’t understand. I’m going to be brutally honest here, Kurt. You like the finer things in life. Seriously, when we would talk about New York last year all you talked about was living in Manhattan, seeing shows on Broadway, shopping at the best stores, dining at the best restaurants.”

“So?”

“That’s not your financial reality but it is for the Warblers. Kurt, you were in. You were a Warbler. What’s the phrase _Once a Warbler, always a Warbler_ …”

“Except for me, and I think Hunter, but I don’t care. They’re all pompous asses except Blaine. Trent used to be sweet, but I heard he’s friends with Smythe now which explains the attitude.”

“If all those material items meant so much to you, you would have found a way to stay a Warbler. Made them all your best friends. After Sebastian, you dislike that guy Thad the most, right?”

“Him or Wes.”

“Did you know Thad’s family are multi-billionaires?” When Kurt spit out his coffee, Chandler got his answer “I didn’t think you did.”

“How did you find that out?”

“My grandmother moved down from Columbus to work for the Mottas and I helped her this past weekend. I met Sugar, who by the way is all kinds of fabulous. At one point, she was on the phone with someone named Kitty talking about her billionaire boyfriend and Blaine’s friend, Thad Harwood. If you would have been at Dalton when you found this out, would you have thought differently about Thad? Tried to be his friend?”

“Honestly? Probably, but it would have lasted about 10 minutes because he’s a spoiled asshole.”

“That’s my point. You left Dalton because you wanted to be with your friends at McKinley despite the fact Karofsky was there. You didn’t care that the Warblers came from wealthy families, they weren’t your friends. If you can get back to that mind set, where being with your friends is the most important thing, then you stand a chance of making it through the week without completely alienating everyone.”

Kurt reached across the table and squeezed Chandler’s hand. For the first time in what seemed like forever, he believed someone was truly on his side. “Thanks Chandler.”

** Chandler-Cooper **

“Come in.”

“You wanted to see me, Cooper?”

“Chandler, please shut the door and have a seat.” As soon as he sat on the couch, Cooper asked “Why didn’t you tell me you left school because your dad needed an operation and your parents wouldn’t be able to send you your monthly allowance?”

“Quite frankly, it was none of your business. Then the money you offered me to become friends with Kurt again was enough for me to finish the year. I haven’t left school, yet. Yes, I missed half of last week but NYU is now on Spring Break.”

Cooper came out from behind his desk and handed Chandler a piece of paper which he immediately tried to hand back. “I don’t want the money. It makes me feel dirty. I’ll find a way to get back to school on my own.”

“Look at the paper, Chandler. It’s not what you think.”

Chandler did what Cooper said. It took his mood from aggravated to agitated “This is bank account with a balance of $25,000. That’s 5 times more than we agreed, which doesn’t matter because I still don’t want your money.”

“Good thing it’s not my money.” Chandler took a closer look at the paper as Cooper tried to explain “Your Grandmother told your Great Aunt Rosa what was going on. She asked my Uncle Robert, that would be the Al Motta on the account, if he could make sure your dad got the care he needs. She also asked for him to set up an account for you so she could help you out with money every month.”

“That would be a good story if my Great Aunt Rosa liked me.”

“I don’t know about that but she is proud of you. Since these were the first favors Rosa asked my uncle for in the over 20 years she’s worked for him, he went a little overboard. Your dad is not only getting the care he needs, it’s been paid for. Also, you are going to get that same amount deposited into that account every quarter until you graduate. Before you start bitching, this no longer has anything to do with you. He’s doing it for Rosa. Take the money and go back to school. Give your parents one last thing to worry about.”

“That’s playing dirty.”

“Well, that’s what I do.” Cooper walked back around his desk and sat in his chair “Chandler, I’m sorry for using you like that. Since you won’t take my money, how about one of those anytime, anywhere favors. Anything that doesn’t require me to be nice to Kurt. My remorse does have limits.”

“Sounds good.” Chandler was doing everything possible to temper his joy until he could leave. With the money Al Motta was giving him, he would be able to go back to New York and try to win Kurt’s heart once and for all.

** Cooper-Santana **

Once Chandler left, Cooper went back to what he had been doing most of the afternoon…staring at the picture of Blaine he was able to download from Sebastian’s phone. He couldn’t believe how badly he had screwed up. The one time Blaine needed him and he thought of himself first, exactly what he promised himself he would never do again.

When his phone went off and it wasn’t Blaine or Holly’s ringtone he was going to ignore it, but a picture of Blaine and his best girl made him change his mind. “Hey, Santana.”

“Before you say anything, how are you doing?”

“Guess I don’t have to watch what I say until I figured out if you heard or not. Do me a favor and help me get my mind off things. What can I do for you?”

“I need help finding someone, fast. That’s what you guys do, right?”

“It’s some of what we do. Who do you want found?”

“Brody Weston.”

“Rachel’s prostitute boyfriend that Blaine taught Finn how to throw a punch so he could kick his ass, Brody Weston?”

Oh yeah. How could she have forgotten that? “Don’t call him a prostitute or any other titles you can think of. Sam took issue with all the names we were calling him because…”

“Enough said. Ok, I can get one of the New York guys on this but doesn’t he go to NYADA?”

“Yes, I tried that but the school is on Spring Break and anyone I could find to ask had no idea where he was. Cooper, I have to find him fast.”

“How fast?”

“I get back to town tomorrow night, so Wednesday morning.”

“Where are you? Don’t you have a big fashion spread you have to get ready?”

“Everything that could be done without models is done and did you really think I wouldn’t crash all this bestie bonding time? I am his best girl after all.”

Cooper’s heart practically jumped out of his chest “You’re in LA? How is he? Is he..?”

“Cooper, stop. I’m outside the hotel room. I was waiting to knock until I was done talking with you.”

“Oh, ok. Santana, I’ll get this Brody guy found by Wednesday but I need something from you too.”

“What?”

“Sneak me some video tomorrow so I can see him.”

“I can do that.”

** Santana-Blaine **

Jackie had gotten them hotel suites because it was too much of a hassle to drive all the way back out to Malibu when they had to be at the studio in the morning. The plan was for Blaine and Sam to veg out with some of their Star Wars fanfiction while Beat went to dinner with his dad. That was blown to hell when they got to the suite and his dad and Sebastian’s were already there.

Blaine hated that he had to call, but he didn’t want to ruin the day with the guys by spending all morning with the lawyer. Ok, that was only part of the truth. He actually did need them. Evidently, it was for the best when you registered a song it had a real title not just _Italian Song for Graduation Plan_ or _Song-that-needs-a-title_. Thankfully, the problem had been caught before it became a bigger problem.

With their plans changed, Blaine and Sam decided to forgo the fanfiction and get rest for tomorrow. They were both pretty wired at the thought of recording in an actual studio the next day.

A bubble bath had been just what Blaine needed…and he was man enough to admit it. He had come back into the bedroom, dried off and when he went to put his underwear on…

“Sorry Blainers, still does nothing for me.”

He hadn’t heard her come in or close the door but that didn’t mean he wasn’t ecstatic to see her “Santana.” He forgot all about his lack of clothing and ran into her arms “You didn’t have to come but I’m so glad you did.”

“Of course, I had to come and we can talk all about Tommy is Eli is Brody, or not, but I have to do something first.” The next thing Blaine knew, a pair of hands were squeezing his ass “Yup, just as I thought. Amazing.”

**Blaine-Sebastian**

Blaine had put some sleep pants on and Santana changed into one of his t-shirts. They got under the covers and talked for about an hour until the 3 hour difference between the east and west coasts caught up with Santana. The second he saw her wiggle her nose when she snored, Blaine knew what he had to do.

_From Blaine: My bestie’s nose wiggles when she snores too ***image attached**_

His phone rang so quickly after he sent the text that he almost dropped it “Hey sexy, I just texted you.”

“I know that’s why I called. What is Santana doing there?”

Well, he wasn’t going to tell Sebastian that it was because he had cried into her ear for an hour about how the boy he dreamed of for years had turned into a man whore (and had slept with _RACHEL BERRY_ ) sent him a letter saying that he still loved him. At least he wasn’t going to tell him yet, but he did have a plan. “You’re the one that said she doesn’t share me well with others.”

“That’s true and I’m not surprised she showed up for your recording session. She’s proud of you. We all are.”

“You don’t think this is happening because I have brain damage?”

“B, you know Cooper didn’t mean that.”

“No, I know he didn’t mean to say it out loud. Can we change the subject?”

“Ok, I have to tell you something but I have to break the bro code to do it.”

“I can’t believe you said bro code. Now I have to know what it is.”

“Nari is coming to New York for the big Saturday meeting then night out instead of going straight to Boston.”

“I don’t know how that breaks the bro code but I’m sure Sam will be ok since he’ll know she’s coming.”

“That’s not…well, it kind of is…”

“Bas, just say it.”

Sebastian knew if he didn’t get it out at once, it wouldn’t happen at all. “Trent has been in love with Nari since they were 5 and he was going to tell her on New Year’s Eve but she met Sam and then she and Sam broke up after Valentine’s Day and Trent was going to talk to her when we’re all at Harvard on Monday but now he’s freaking out because she’s going to see Sam and his abs first and he feels like she’ll laugh at him.”

“Oh wow. Do you feel better that you got that all off of your chest?”

“Much”

“Bas?”

“Yes, B?”

“Are you going to Harvard next Monday to be a wingman for your best friend or actually visit the campus?”

“Both?”

“Bas?”

“You have your first practice for the concert at Julliard that day and you were going to go to NYADA and find out what happened there.”

“Bas, you don’t have to make excuses. I think it’s sweet you want to be there for Trent as he sounds pretty freaked out.”

“You’ll tell Sam and give me a heads up about how he feels so I know how to handle Trent?”

“Yes, my love, I will do that. Speaking of Sam, he and I had a pretty interesting conversation yesterday. Evidently, our friends believe we’re pretty frisky in the bedroom.”

“Frisky, B?”

“Ok, how about Sam thought that I was in trouble on Friday for yelling at you and you had to punish me?”

“Um, wouldn’t he be surprised to find out that I’m usually on the receiving end of a punishment.”

“Not really, since I reminded him that even though I don’t fight any more, I’m still Wolverine. And don’t think I’ve forgotten how our night of debauchery keeps getting postponed. I have a surprise for you and don’t worry, I brought some of your favorite toys with me. I’ll just have to decide whether you’ve been a good boy or a bad boy.”

Blaine could hear Sebastian try and stifle a groan “We should probably stop since Rachel is here.”

“I know. Whoever thought we’d be cockblocked by girls?”

“That’s ok, Blainers. If you and your boytoy want to have a little phone sex it’s fine with me.”

“Santana!”

.


	47. That's What Friends Are For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just because Blaine and Sebastian are in LA that doesn’t mean the world stops turning…or drama quits happening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even with Brody’s true identity revealed, he will still be referred to as Tommy at least the time being.
> 
> Implied Light D/S
> 
> Edited from original post.

“Oh, Dude. I don’t care if you are Wolverine. You are in _trou-ble_.” Sam laughed at the sneer Blaine gave him then put his guitar in the stand “I’m going to go check on Rachel. You two should talk.”

Blaine may not have been happy with what Sam said but he knew he was right. While he thought the song’s lyrics might be open to interpretation, hearing it with a full band and background singers crushed that idea. “Bas, say something.”

“Um, I mean…um, when did you write that song?”

“Right after Schuster’s reception.”

“The night I…um, we…well, you know. I mean I’m not saying our sex life isn’t adventurous, but…”

“But that night it wasn’t a game. I’m sorry, I was so focused on the acoustic portion that Sam plays that I guess I didn’t pay enough attention to the lyrics. They just sort of came out…which in a way is worse considering I bitch at other people for not listening to the lyrics of songs.”

“That was the melody you couldn’t get out of your head? The one that was blocking everything?”

“And then once I got it on paper I was able to write not only the rest of the song but the Italian song and _Who Knew_ as well.”

“Ok”

“Ok?”

“Julliard wouldn’t have approved it if they thought it was…you know, kinky. It is an amazing song, B. We’re probably just too close to it. Now I have a question, did you think your loose curl, scruff, glasses look would distract me?”

“Way to change the subject and no, I had to see the doctors at 7AM and I didn’t sleep well. Santana doesn’t cute snore the way Rachel does, and I might have been anxious about today. But, I’ve got to admit now that we’re here and have rehearsed I feel better.”

“And Sam didn’t shave in solidarity?”

“No, Sam said Sunday that he’s not shaving until the photo shoot.”

“Wait, he has 3 days growth and you shaved yesterday?”

Blaine gave him a push “Shut up.” Then he grabbed Sebastian’s shirt and pulled him into a less than innocent kiss.

“Thank you, I missed this. Between the Sebreak and the Intervention, things have been way too serious lately.”

Sebastian leaned down and kissed him back. “I agree, it’s time we had some fun.” Then after yet another kiss he asked “How’s Ray doing?”

“Fabulous, like I knew she would. I have to admit that I had some last minute doubts that she would see singing background on this song as a gift.”

“B, she’s not that…ok, she’s trying not to be that person anymore. Remember, you had this idea to celebrate her Winter Showcase win. Would the Old Rachel Berry have kept that to herself?”

“Did she tell you why she did?”

“Yes, but it had to do with something about Hummel and Brody so I tuned it out. Guess I’ll have to stop doing that. Are you alright?”

Internally Blaine was screaming _Why the fuck did you have to mention Tommy at a time like this_ but he said out loud “What did Brody have to do with it?”

“Something about how he encouraged her and then after she won got her that part in the holiday show. You know, the reason she wasn’t at your New Year’s Eve party. That’s when they began dating again.”

“I didn’t know” at least he was being truthful about that. Blaine saw Jackie wave at him so he knew it was time. “You need to get up to the sound booth.”

Sebastian gave him one last quick peck “Got it. I’m going to go wish Sam and Ray luck and then go up. This place is so big I better hurry if I want to make it on time.”

“That’s Jackie for you. Tell her you need a string quartet and she arranges for a full orchestra in the same studio where they recorded the _Titanic_ soundtrack. By the way, this isn’t Rachel’s surprise…just a bonus. When I told Jackie that I wanted to do this she said it wasn’t a problem but…”

“Oh, shit. How far did she go?”

“She wouldn’t tell me which means pretty fucking far.”

It was a good thing Sebastian did hurry because one of Jackie’s assistants was shutting the door when he arrived. He hadn’t realized there would be that many people in the booth, not only music types but those that had come for Blaine. The parents (Blaine’s dad, his dad, Rachel’s dads and Trent’s mom) were on one side of the room. Trent was watching Doug at the sound board, laughing everything he squealed about being allowed to “touch the buttons”. And on the other side of the room, closest to the window looking out over the entire studio, were Beat, Mike, Finn and Santana. Mike was holding on to Beat, reminding him no matter what his mother did he couldn’t say anything while they were recording. Finn had his eyes glued on Rachel, but Santana was doing something they were told specifically not to do.

“Jackie said no phones, no recording of any kind” Sebastian reminded her.

“Mr. A talked to her and I can take one one-minute or less video per song to send to Brittany. She’s so upset she couldn’t come out here or go to New York with Artie, Tina and Amanda. I have to admit, I’m a little upset with it too.” There was a definite sadness to Santana’s voice. She was afraid if Brittany didn’t come to New York after graduation they would wind up like Sam & Nari and Nick & Sugar, even though they had been together a lot longer than the other couples.

Sebastian leaned over and whispered “Maybe, but you can’t fool me. Your beautiful girlfriend is a cover for Cooper. Don’t worry, I won’t tell B.”

The red recording light came on and everyone stopped talking. Sam’s guitar intro began and Sebastian looked to see how Blaine’s dad reacted since he hadn’t heard it. He nudged Santana and had her get his reaction on camera. Cooper would want to see it.

_When, when we came home_  
_Worn to the bones_  
_I told myself, "this could get rough"_

_And when, when I was off, which happened a lot_  
_You came to me and said, "that's enough"_

_Oh, I know that this love is pain_  
_But we can't cut it from out these veins, no_

_(Ah…ah…ah…ah) So I'll hit the lights and you lock the doors_  
_We ain't leaving this room 'til we both feel more_  
_Don't walk away, don't roll your eyes_  
_They say love is pain, well darling, let's hurt tonight_

It was hard for Sebastian to take his eyes off Blaine and Sam. Having had a couple of prior run throughs with the band seemed to have put them at ease. Plus, up until he watched the earlier practice, Sebastian had never seen Blaine play electric guitar. Now there was a new side of Blaine that turned him on…Rock star!

When he finally forced himself to look away the first place he went was Rachel, who was taking her _Ah…ah…ah_ s seriously. Her dads were smiling ear to ear and Finn was mesmerized. In fact, everyone, even the music people Jackie brought in, appeared mesmerized by what they heard. So much so that Sebastian didn’t see any stares when certain words were sung. Like he predicted, the more he heard them the less suggestive the lyrics sounded. The problem was their friends were freaky-freaks and words like _Let’s hurt tonight_ wouldn’t go by unnoticed.

Once the song finished, Jackie turned to the “kids” and told them that there was lunch set up in a room downstairs and that Blaine, Sam and Rachel would join them shortly. Before anyone could register what was happening they were already out of the room. Sebastian assumed something was going on that the “adults” had to handle and he would find out later. He just wished he could have gotten their opinion on the song, but then again...

Back in the sound booth the “adults” were waiting for what came next. “Charles, what did you think of Blaine’s song? Had you heard it before?” Trent’s mom Molly asked.

“I can’t believe they were just recording it to send to Julliard. It sounded like it was ready for radio.” Leroy added, trying to keep his tears of happiness from falling.

Hiram handed his husband a handkerchief because he knew the tears were inevitable “I can’t get over that it only took one take.”

“Me either, and no, I hadn’t heard it. To say I am in awe of what my son has accomplished is an understatement. The song is amazing.” Charles stopped when Jackie’s assistant came over to tell them that it would be a few more minutes. When she left he went on to say “Unfortunately, I think I learned more about my son’s sex life than I ever wanted to know.”

Molly and both of Rachel’s dads laughed but Xavier shook his head “Hey, my son’s sex life as well. I should probably warn my wife before we go to Blaine’s concert that evidently her Darling Boy likes it a little rough.”

Meanwhile, the three recording artists joined their friends and earned hugs from all. Blaine made sure Rachel got to Sebastian first so he could get to him last. He didn’t know what to expect but it wasn’t being picked up and spun around before receiving a breathtaking kiss. “B, that song is…is…I don’t know. Amazing isn’t good enough.”

“Damn right it’s not!” Santana agreed as she had Doug and Finn help her hand out glasses of water so they could make toasts. “Last year’s me would never believe this but…to Rachel. Congrats on winning the NYADA Winter Showcase and next time maybe let us know.”

Rachel was smiling so big it hurt. It was almost impossible to believe that it was only a week before that she had felt so alone. “That will be easy since I have all of you in my life again.” She made sure to make eye contact with everyone in the room then mouthed _Thank you_ to Sebastian.

Santana brought them back “No one’s allowed to get sappy yet, we’ve got two more to go. So, raise your glass…Here’s to Rachel. We are all very proud of you.”

“To Rachel!”

“I want to do the next toast” Finn announced, which was a surprise. “To Sam. You have thanked me a hundred times for going to Kentucky and bringing you back to McKinley, but I’ve never thanked you. This year you have shown me how to be the leader I should have been.” In a much bigger surprise he turned to face Blaine “And I’m sorry for that.” Rachel took his hand much like he had done for her when Mercedes announced she won the part on Broadway. She knew he needed her as much now as she needed him then.

“Ok, like Santana said, no sappy shit yet. So, raise your glass…Here’s to Sam. Thank you and Dude, you rocked it out!”

“To Sam!”

“Thank you, Finn…everyone. And I know each of us could individually propose a toast to Blaine, but they are bringing in the food and I’m starving. So, raise your glass…Here’s to Blaine. Seb was right, there are no words.”

“To Blaine!”

Toasts completed, it was time to make a dent in the wonderful _light_ lunch Jackie had set up for them…and for Beat to freak out about it. “I distinctly said maybe sandwiches, not 20 different meats and cheeses with 12 different kinds of bread and don’t get me started on all the different soups and salads...”

“She just wanted to make sure your friends had choices, including Rachel. That’s all” Mike assured him.

“I’m sorry I let her get to me. It’s only…well, you know, this…you know, you and me…we’re new and you have never liked a guy before and…”

Mike stepped forward and gave him a kiss…which all of Mike’s McKinley friends readily admitted they had to get used to (but also admitted Mike and Beat were awfully cute together). “I’m good. I don’t know why, but I actually like your mother.”

Blaine smiled as he watched the little interchange between one of his best friends and the one person that had been his friend (not Kurt and his friend) at McKinley the previous year. “You’re really happy for them, aren’t you?” Sebastian asked as he came from behind and wrapped his arms around him.

“Probably more than I thought possible. I was worried when I first heard about them but now I can see it.” He twisted in Sebastian’s arms so he could wrap his arms around him as well “How bad were the innuendos about the song?”

“There were none.”

“What do you mean there were none? The lyrics obviously hinted at sex and our friends lack brain to mouth filters. There had to be at least one comment.” Sebastian shook his head no. “Dirty joke? Limerick? Are you sure Santana didn’t say something in Spanish you didn’t understand?”

“Nope, nothing. That’s what scares me.”

With all that he had going on to get to this point, Blaine had not had time to contemplate the dynamic of the people sitting at the table eating lunch together. At the beginning of the school year it would have been impossible to think of new and old members of New Directions and Warblers having lunch together, despite the whole _Black or White_ moment the year before. Of course, he hadn’t known about that. Or Kurt giving the tape to Sebastian. Or…Ok Anderson, let it go.

And like most everything else Blaine obsessively overthought, he had had no reason to worry. They ate, they talked, they laughed like they had ALL been friends for years. He was especially happy with how Santana was getting along with Beat and Mike. He forgotten how she and Mike had one very important thing in common…Brittany.

He had tried to get Brittany there after Santana surprised him, but she was in Florida for her grandparent’s 50th wedding anniversary. She already wasn’t coming to New York because Cheerio’s Nationals were 3 weeks later and Coach Roz basically had them on lockdown since Sue threatened to fire her if they didn’t win. They hadn’t seen each other since Schuster’s wedding and barely even talked due to Santana working 18 hours a day prepping for the photoshoot. They both knew the shoot could turn into an extraordinary opportunity for Santana, but it was all beginning to take a toll on their relationship. That’s why Blaine smiled when Santana looked at her phone and then mouthed _Brittany_ at him before leaving to take the call.

Only it wasn’t Brittany.

“Hey Cooper, did you get the video?”

“I did, thank you for that and for the shot of my dad’s reaction. I owe you.”

“It was Seb’s idea to get your dad and you can pay me back by telling me you found Brody.”

“We’re still looking. Tana, it’s like the guy doesn’t exist. The only paper trail we could find on him involves NYADA. We’ll find him it’s just going to take longer than you hoped. We’re going to have to dig a little deeper.”

She had a decision to make. She had wanted to find Brody to tell him to stay the hell away from Blaine while he was in New York, but if Cooper kept trying to find Brody he might find out that he’s Tommy. “That’s ok, Coop. Stop looking, I’ll find another way.”

“Are you sure?”

She looked back into the room and saw Blaine with Sebastian’s arm around his shoulders, laughing at something Sam had said. He was in such a good place and she owed him so much “Yeah Coop, I’m sure. I’ll take care of this.” They spoke for a couple more minutes before ending the call. She headed back to the group but stopped when she saw Beat grab Mike’s shirt and pretty much slammed their lips together “Well, damn! What did I miss?”

“Mike’s going to be in New York next week” Sam told her.

“Hey, Chang. Free yourself from your boyfriend and start talking.”

“I want to make something clear, I did this before Beat was a part of my life. I knew not too long after I got to the Joffrey that I needed more. I’m still going to dance, that’s my life, but I want a degree as well and I can’t do that in Chicago. I can do that with Tische at NYU or Julliard and their connection to Columbia. I have auditions at both places next week.”

Blaine stood up and raised his glass “Here’s to Mike…for being brave enough to know what you want and going for it, and I’m not just talking about coming to Julliard with me. To Mike!”

“To Mike!”

After the toast, Mike pointed at Blaine “You know I could go to Tische.”

“Nope, you’re going to Julliard. Rach, you think we’re going to be able to add one more Saturday night?”

“I’ll talk with Adam but it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Who’s Adam?” Finn asked, everyone noticing his jealousy except Rachel.

“He’s a Senior at NYADA and he manages Karaoke Nights. CallBacks is strictly a piano bar Sunday thru Thursday but on Friday and Saturday there’s karaoke. With as large as our group is, I wanted to know if all of us getting in was even a possibility. I couldn’t believe it when he offered to reserve tables for us. That’s never done.”

Santana could see that Rachel was still clueless about Finn’s discomfort, so she thought she’d be nice…yeah, she blamed Blaine for that. “I remember him. He’s that guy who’s (in a British accent) quite British, quite gorgeous and quite-quite gay.”

Then out of nowhere...

“I can’t take it!” Sebastian stood and dropped his silverware making a loud enough clang to assure he had everyone’s attention. “I know you’re all dying to say some lude comment about the lyrics to _Let’s hurt tonight_. Get them out before B and Sam go back into the studio for the next two songs. Come on Ray, you have to have something to say about _This love is pain_. And Lopez _This could get rough_? You’re just going to let that sit there?”

“Excuse us.” Blaine joined Sebastian and then walked him away from the table “Bas, I figured out what's going on. Even if any of them want to say something, they’re not going to do it in front of Doug. He may be 14 but he looks 10. Remember, the Warblers had a ceremony where Trent passed on the title of Baby-faced Warbler to him?”

“Of course, I remember. Their mom baked cookies.”

“I should have known you’d remember the cookies. So, can we go back? It’s almost time to start up again and I haven’t finished my lunch.”

Sebastian kissed Blaine before going back to the table and rejoining their friends “Sorry guys. I’m just so proud of Blaine for writing an amazing song and I don’t want people making it into something it’s not.”

Their friends tried to hide their disappointment because now they really couldn’t make innuendos about the song. “Bastian, we understand that people who know the two of you may think a certain way at first, considering how affectionate you two are.” The others nodded because what Rachel was coming up with sounded good. “Once they take Blaine’s advice and truly listen to the lyrics, they will realize there is a much deeper meaning behind them.”

“Or they’ll wonder which one calls the other Daddy.” All eyes turned to Doug, who had continued eating his lunch like nothing had happened. “What?”

Trent knew immediately he would be the one doing the talking considering Santana, Sam, Beat and Rachel were barely holding it together while Finn and Mike (as well as Blaine and Sebastian) were in shock that Doug of all people had said that. “Little brother, care to explain that comment?”

“After the Sugar Shack, the girls at Crawford Day decided that Seblaine was the dreamiest couple ever and some started writing fanfiction about them. It’s really popular. George said his sister Gigi says some of the stories are pretty smutty, thus the Daddy reference. I can’t believe you guys didn’t know this.”

None were surprised when Santana was the first to lose it, but Trent pushed forward “How would they know what happened at the Sugar Shack? The only video that got online was _Don’t You Want Me_ since that girl somehow got around the blocking system that Breadstix had on that night.”

“Nari and some of her friends were there and Gigi said they went on and on and on about how romantic _In Your Eyes_ was. Sebastian, you know you’ve screwed every boyfriend they will ever have, right? I wonder what they wrote when you two broke up? Don’t worry I won’t tell anyone it was fake.” ”

“Oh my God!” Rachel was the second to go “Please tell me they publish this online somewhere. I have to read it!”

When Blaine and Sebastian yelled “No!” in unison, the rest of the room fell into hysterics…except for Finn. He sat staring at Rachel, in awe of this sexual side to her he had never known she had.

Santana tried to catch her breath enough to check a text she had ignored while Doug was talking.

_From Mercedes: CALL ASAP AND GET ONE OF THE DALTON BOYS. ALL HELL BREAKING LOOSE ON MARTHA’S VINYARD._

Well, that didn’t sound good.

She waved her phone so everyone knew she had to take a call. On her way out, she grabbed Trent and literally drug him with her. “What the hell?”

“We’re about to find out” she told him, hitting the FaceTime button on her phone. When Mercedes appeared, she was not alone. “Ok, now I know this is bad if you felt the need to include Wes in this conversation.”

“Nichole broke up with Jeff. She told him that it wasn’t right for her to be with him when she had feelings for someone else.”

“Ok, I’m probably going to sound bad for this but good for her for admitting to it.”

“Santana is right.” They all looked at Trent, not understanding how he didn’t support Jeff in this. “We all lived through Blaine staying with Kurt, denying his feelings for Sebastian. It was a fucking mess.”

“Again, not to sound bad but why did you contact me and not Trent or Beat, even Sebastian? I can understand not wanting to bother Blaine today.” Evidently that part of the conversation required privacy. Wes asked Trent to get Beat and Sebastian if possible and FaceTime him. Once he was gone, Wes told her that he had actually wanted to know how things were going with Blaine. The two of them had been getting along better ever since the day he opened the door for her while naked and she later gave Quinn a positive review of his endowment.

They talked for a couple of minutes before he excused himself “Start talking Mercedes.”

“Jeff is not taking this well…at all. Quinn and Nichole are coming back with me and we should all be at the loft by the time you get back from LA tonight.”

“Let me guess, Nichole still plans on participating in our weekend activities even though Jeff and the other Warblers will be there.”

“Including her brother, Jeff’s best friend, who is beyond pissed with her.”

“Guess that means we won’t be staying at the Duval apartment while Hummel and Finn stay at the loft.”

“That’s not the problem.”

“Then I don’t understand beyond the fact that things will be awkward.”

“Nichole insists she did this out of fairness to Jeff and that the other guy doesn’t have a clue she feels this way.”

“And?”

“Quinn and I don’t think this is some random Harvard guy.”

Santana was about to ask why they thought that when a memory answered the question for her.

“ _You all dated and then dumped HIM? You’re all a bunch of fucking idiots._ ”

Oh yeah, this was most definitely a problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let’s Hurt Tonight: Tedder, Ryan; Zancanella, Noel 2016
> 
> Ok lovely readers, I'm in need of some feedback. Thank you to my faithful few. I love you guys.


	48. Not Exactly What We Had Planned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mercedes and Quinn have an idea how to help their friend, but Santana likes to do things her way. Meanwhile, Blaine and Sebastian may finally get their much-delayed day of debauchery, if Sebastian can handle Blaine’s secret…or lie, depending how on he looks at it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Frank discussion of sex to include light d/s

**New York**

“Please tell me there’s coffee.” Santana groaned as she drug herself out from behind her bedroom’s patrician.

Mercedes pulled a cup off the rack and set it on the table. “Brewing a new pot. What time did you get in last night?”

“You mean this morning? 4AM. Thank god my boss gave me today off. Things will get crazy again when the guys get into town tomorrow.”

“I thought they weren’t here until Friday?”

“They weren’t but we needed them to come in for fittings. Mercy, I can’t even begin to describe how incredible things were in LA. Not only did Blaine record the one song for Julliard and the other for his Graduation Project, he recorded a third.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, Beat’s mom is some big-time music exec and had some people stop by (she’d save most of those for later, but…) including Katy Perry. She saw the music for the third song and said there should be strings in the background. Since there was already an orchestra there for the Italian song, they did a couple of run throughs and _Who Knew_. I mean, shit...I don't know what I mean.”

The Katy Perry excuse was what they decided to tell people about _Who Knew_ because it was the truth except they had already planned to record it for the doctors. Up until Blaine walked back into the studio, he swore he didn’t remember the song. By the time he got to the first line of the chorus he had his eyes shut and he was singing the lyrics word for word to the music. Beat said that was the same zone he was in when he sang the song at Dalton, he just didn’t collapse from exhaustion at the end which had to be a good thing.  
Santana knew he couldn’t be more wrong. She saw the panic behind Blaine’s fake smile and knew exactly what he was thinking. How was he going to tell Sebastian about Tommy after he heard that?

She didn’t realize that she had stopped talking until she heard Quinn come into the room “It’s already viral.”

“What are you talking about?”

Mercedes and Quinn looked at each other, then Mercedes left while Quinn asked “Didn’t you know Blaine sang onstage at a Katy Perry’s concert last night?”

“Of course, I knew. I was there. She had heard the Warbler version of _Teenage Dream_ back in the day, _remembered it_ and invited the acapella dreamboat to sing with her. He said no, but Katy Perry pretty much gets what Katy Perry wants so he agreed but only if they could do it his acoustic version. What’s going on?” By this time Mercedes was back with her tablet and handed it to her “Holy shit! How many posts are there?”

“Over 20, but that one has the most views. You can see Blaine is staring straight at Sebastian. The views on _Creep_ have also gone up about 20,000 and that’s just from last night.” Mercedes sat back down next to Quinn and they waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And then… “Holy Fuck! Hummel. He’s knows Blaine has been singing Klaine songs again but this was THE Klaine song. I wonder how he took it. You know he’s had to have seen this by now.”

“Oh, he has” Nichole told her as she joined the group.

“Good morning, Nichole. You look like hell.”

“That’s what generally happens when you blow up your fucking life. Is it all right if I take a shower?”

In all the _Teenage Dream_ drama, Santana had almost forgotten why Nichole was there and the gift she had brought her “Go ahead. Take your time.” Once she heard the water running, the earlier conversation was quickly pushed aside “Has she said anything?”

“No, and we haven’t pushed…yet” Quinn told her. “But it’s got to be Sam, right? They would be so good together and face it ladies, we all kind of owe Sam.”

“That’s an understatement.” Sam had told her that if he could forgive Finn for Quinn, he could forgive her for Brittany. She just wished he didn’t have to be so damn nice about it. Speaking of nice “And even if for some reason Trouty has some undiscovered tingling for the Kennedy heiress, he would never do anything to hurt the Blonde Warbler. Huh? Blonde Warbler…Blonde Chameleon, our girl has a type.”

“You noticed that too?” Mercedes laughed a little too loudly, but then went backed to the group’s hushed tone. “Quinn and I agree that we want to help but should wait until after Nationals. Our focus for the time being is making it thru the weekend. I’m sure I’m not the only one that thinks Finn will have his hands full with Kurt and don’t forget Nick and Sugar broke up last week. She was in Ireland the last 2 days visiting Rory and before you ask, yes, Nick knows.”

Santana began to massage her temples as she could already feel the headache coming on “Oh, it gets better. Mike is coming and he and Beat are getting much more comfortable with the PDAs. They’re not Seblaine level but I saw Mike and Beat kiss more in one day than I saw Mike and Tina kiss all Senior year.”

Both Mercedes and Quinn did the classic wide-eye/jaw drop move, but let Santana continue “So, not only will we have Hummel and _Teenage Dream_ , and Blaine being all mob family protective of his baby cousin, Tina will be getting full-on Bike for the first time. Wait! I can’t believe I almost forgot, Nari...”

“No!” Mercedes said, not in denial but in more of a _OMG how could this get any fucking crazier_ kind of awe.

“Yes, Trouty says he’s fine with it…”

“I said I’m fine with what?”

Mercedes and Quinn looked over at a sleepy, half-naked Sam and then back to Santana “Oh, did I forget to tell you I brought the 8-pack Adonis home with me?”

“I’m done…” Nichole, wearing only a towel, stopped short when she saw Sam and his ex-girlfriends had their confirmation. The guy _Nichole had feelings for so she broke-up with Jeff_ was most definitely Sam.

Santana’s first instinct was to call Blaine but he was a little busy at the moment.

** Location Unknown **

Blaine pulled out a photo he kept hidden in his wallet and sighed. Sam had played him a Garth Brooks song once, _I’m Much Too Young To_ _Feel This Damn Old_. That’s what he felt like looking at the picture and it made him sad. He carefully folded the photo into a piece of paper and put it in his pocket for later. He looked at the clock and realized Sebastian would be there in about 15 minutes and he was nowhere near ready. Shit!

Sebastian was equally as frustrated, if not more. At that moment in time, he literally had no idea where on the planet he was. Blaine had been thorough in planning this surprise…his dad’s private plane with shades down (and dads to make sure he didn’t peek), three take offs and landings, exiting the jet in a private hanger with no markings as to location, limo with no windows and Daniel to make sure he didn’t try to use his phone. Now he was exiting the limo in what had to be a VIP entrance to somewhere but again nothing to give away where he was.

The woman there to greet him didn’t even where a nametag he could go off of “Mr. Smythe, welcome.”

“To the…?”

“Mr. Anderson said you would try that. Now if you will follow me.” They walked over to an elevator with yet another staff member with no name tag. Sebastian got in and was impressed when the guy pressed the PH button. “Enjoy your stay.”

“At the…?” he asked again as the elevator doors closed. He turned to the guy with him who shook his head no. Oh well, if Blaine had gone to all this trouble who was he to ruin the surprise.

The doors opened to what had to be the Penthouse Suite, but there was no furniture, only a large blanket and picnic basket with a note on top.

_Dear Bas,_

_This may not have been the Spring Break we planned, but maybe this will help._

_B_

_PS Press the green button_

There had been a remote under the note so he pressed that green button. When he did, what he had assumed was a wall (how had he not noticed there were no windows) opened. He stepped forward to look out and saw…the Eiffel Tower?

It now made sense. The picnic? The Eiffel Tower? May not have been the Spring Break we planned? This was the Spring Break in Paris they had originally planned only they were in (after another look out the expanding opening) Las Vegas.

“I’m sorry. Are you a freshman?”

Sebastian turned around so fast he almost fell over. Then he almost fell over from what he saw…or better yet, who he saw. It was Blaine. The original Blaine. The Blaine of all his early Dalton masturbatory fantasies. The grey-striped cardigan. The tight, tight grey pants that didn’t quite reach the top of his sockless shoes. The bow-tie. And of course, the gelled-into-submission hair. “I…I…I…”

“I seem to remember that last time I was the one that was tongue tied.”

“What is all this, B?”

“I know you were upset about Paris, but when we sit on the blanket we look directly out on the Eiffel Tower, restaurant, on the Las Vegas strip. Maybe this was a dumb idea.”

“No, this is perfect. I can’t believe you went to all this trouble. What about the outfit and hair?”

“This Blaine should have admitted from the beginning that he was attracted to you and got himself to a place where he could have done something about it. Taken you on a date that didn’t involve coffee or horrible fake IDs.”

“Well then, let’s get to it. I’m starving.”

The picnic basket Blaine (ok, Sebastian’s mom) had the hotel prepare was full of all Sebastian’s favorite French delicacies except for one. There was no wine, but Sebastian didn’t seem to miss it until they had finished off most of the food. “Everything was wonderful, but why no wine? If we were in Paris, we would have had it.”

“I want to talk to you about a couple of things and didn’t want alcohol interfering.”

“A couple of things? That sounds serious.”

Blaine could tell from Sebastian’s tone that he thought he was joking with him. Time to change that. “Well, two things but if the first one goes badly then the second one doesn’t matter.”

That brought Sebastian around “What are you talking about?”

You can do this…Blaine reached into his pocket, pulled out the paper, unfolded it and handed Sebastian the photo. “That was taken a little over 4 years ago. You can probably tell I’m the younger boy and Sugar is the girl on the older guy’s back. That’s Tommy.”

“Oh” There were a million questions swirling in his head, especially with the timing of _Who Knew_ , but he was putting all stewardship of this conversation onto Blaine. He was just honored that Blaine was ready to share. “He looks nice. Very cute, but I didn’t realize he was so much older than you.”

“Three years, but with the way our birthdays fell, he was a Senior when I was a Freshman.”

“Oh, and you say this was taken a little…”

“It was a week before the attack.”

“Oh.” Sebastian didn’t think he could hate those that attacked Blaine more than he did that day at McKinley when he told Cooper he could kill them and meant it. Seeing Blaine so young and so small…how could they do that?

“Bas?”

“Oh, sorry B. I’m just…sorry. For you and for Tommy.”

“Thank you. I wanted you to put that face to Tommy’s name. The face I saw when I had nightmares. Hell, it’s still the face I see when I think of Tommy.”

“Wait, what do you mean still think of?” Blaine turned back to the picnic basket, unzipped one of the sides and brought out a picture which he handed to Sebastian. “B? Is this the same guy? Oh god B, did you find Tommy? You must be so happy. Is he ok?” He was comparing the two again when he realized Blaine hadn’t said anything “B?”

“I did find Tommy or he found me...about 8 months ago.”

“8 months?” Sebastian beginning to figure it out and Blaine was going to let him. “That’s about the time you and Hum…and you said Tommy found you?” There was a pause then… “Was Tommy Eli?”

“Yes”

“Holy shit!”

“There’s more.”

“More?”

“Bas, please.”

Sebastian took a drink of his water (Damn! He wished it was wine). Admittedly, he had gotten a little over enthusiastic when he found out there was more to the story. “I’m sorry, B. Your attack and Tommy, and I guess Eli, are parts of you that will never belong to me, I get that. You can share as much or as little as you want. I won’t push.”

“Just remember you’re the one that said that.”

**Back in New York**

Santana sat fidgeting with her phone. She was trying to ignore the glares from Quinn and Mercedes for surprising them with Sam. Who by the way, was being a total sweetie to Nichole...telling her all kinds of terrible jokes and doing those stupid impressions which made her giggle. Yeah, the girl had it bad.

She was thinking about trying to call Brittany yet again when she received a text.

_From Unknown: Stop trying to find me. There’s no way I’d ever talk to you._

Oh really? In response she sent a copy of her favorite picture of her and Blaine. She was sitting behind him on his Harley, arms wrapped around his waist, cheek resting on the back of his shoulder. It must have worked because an hour later she was in a busy Manhattan coffee shop sitting across from Brody. “Now do you believe I’m one of Blaine’s best friends?” she asked as he handed her phone back.

“He looked happy.”

“He was very happy. He was with Sebastian.”

“I still can’t believe he wound up with the guy. I guess anything’s better than Hummel but what does Kurt’s ex have to do with me and Rachel?”

She looked around the shop and made sure that no one was too close before leaning across the table “We both know that this has nothing to do with Rachel and everything to Blaine. Don’t we, Tommy?”

Brody leaned in as well “I see you know about my connection to Blaine but I suggest you drop it. I let you and Hudson get the drop on me once, and I probably deserved it, but that’s not happening again.” They both sat back and went into defensive mode…backs straight, arms crossed, nerves on edge. The stand-off could have gone on for hours when Brody suggested “Alright, we both obviously came for answers. Two questions each, answer truthfully.”

“Five and how will I know if you're honest? It wasn’t your strong suit when you were around last time.”

“Three, yes/no answers only and I have this horrible feeling that you and I will be dealing with each other a lot as it concerns Blaine, so it’s best to be honest up front and go from there.”

“Fine, but I get to go first. Were you using Rachel to get to Blaine?”

“First time yes, second time no. Is…”

“Wait, first time yes?”

“Yes/no questions only. Is Blaine happy with his decision to go to Julliard?”

“Yes. Did you recently send Blaine a letter with only 4 words?”

“Yes, and if it helps the words were _I still love you_. Are Blaine and that Smythe guy as happy as you say they are?”

“Yes. Do you plan on trying to see Blaine while he’s in New York?”

“Yes. Do you think Blaine wants to see me?”

“I don’t know.”

“Honesty, Lopez.”

“Yes.”

**Back in Las Vegas**

“This says _I still love you_.”

“Yes.”

“And he sent it through my dad?”

“Yes, but I don’t understand how he even knows about your dad. That’s one of the reasons I need to see him when I’m in New York. He shouldn’t know about your dad being my lawyer.”

“But my dad talked to Brody’s…”

“Tommy’s.”

“Ok, my dad talked to Tommy’s family about the plea bargain and settlement.”

“No, your dad told Tommy’s family that he needed to speak to him. Your dad thinks they’re hiding him from me not that he’s hiding from them.”

“Alright, we’ll talk to him on Monday and…”

“Bas, you’ll be in Boston on Monday.”

After 2 hours of Blaine explaining the Tommy/Eli/Brody soap opera, Sebastian finally lost it. “Not anymore I’m not!” He got off the blanket and went over to the gas fireplace, switched it on then put in Tommy’s letter and watched it burn. “If you think I am letting that man whore anywhere near you or Ray…”

Sebastian stopping like that was unsettling “Bas?”

“Nothing, I just realized the slut has a type.”

Blaine walked over to Sebastian and held out his hand, unsure if his boyfriend would accept a hug. He should have known better “Bas, you’ve got to let me breathe.” He loosened the vice grip, but not much. “You are going to Boston as planned, and before you start arguing please hear me out.”

Instead of going back to the picnic, they went out onto the large balcony where there were several overstuffed chairs surrounding a small pool and chose two facing each other. When he had planned the picnic, Blaine hadn’t factored in sitting on the floor for that extended period of time, especially in the pants he was wearing. Yeah, he still preferred to wear his pants tight but…Damn! How was he able to do all that dancing at McKinley?

“First of all, I don’t have a meeting with Tommy Monday. I have a meeting at NYADA to find out how I’m a finalist without applying. I’m just assuming he’ll be there.”

“Are you sure he’s behind that?”

“Not completely sure, but it makes sense. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it sooner.” Blaine took off the cardigan and rolled up his sleeves then reached for Sebastian’s hands “You have to trust me on this Bas. You were right earlier when you said this part of my story belongs to me and Tommy.”

“That’s not fair. I said that before I found out that your Tommy is Ray’s Brody.”

“That’s true but would I have risked our day of debauchery if I didn't think this was important?”

Sebastian’s entire demeanor changed “This is supposed to be our day of debauchery?” he asked, complete with over exaggerated eyebrow wiggle.

“It is, if you don’t walk out on me now that I've told you about Tommy.”

“Well, I’m not going anywhere.” Sebastian leaned over and gave him a small, sweet peck. Was he happy with anything Blaine told him? No, but he was choosing to focus on the fact that Blaine told him. Blaine trusted him with this and he was going to have to find a way to do the same. “Now, I’m more than ready to get started on our day of debauchery but I remember you saying that there was something else you wanted to talk about. What was it?”

“Our sex life.”

Sebastian let go of Blaine’s hands and leaned back in his chair “Is this about Doug’s Daddy comment?”

“Yes, no, I don’t know. The snarky comments from our dads didn’t help.”

It was his body language not what Blaine said that got Sebastian’s attention “What did you do, B?”

Blaine couldn’t look at him. It had broken his heart when he made the decision “I…I sent the Italian song to Julliard to replace _Let’s hurt_ _tonight_.”

“Oh, B.”

“Hear me out. That night, when I had you give control to me, I had to stop myself from going further…a lot further.”

“And it scared you.”

“Yeah, it did.”

“Did you talk with Dr. Shepard?”

“No. Are you saying…?”

“Blaine the only person saying anything about you being crazy is you.”

“Cooper said I was brain damaged.”

“No, he didn’t but that’s not the conversation we’re having. For the record, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with our sex life but I can see you thinking it’s pretty intense compared to the occasional vanilla sex you were having with Hummel.” The next thing Sebastian knew he was hit in the face with one of the pillows from Blaine’s chair. “I take it you agree.”

“Maybe I overthought it a little.”

“You think?” Sebastian’s sarcasm earned him a second pillow but this time “Ha! Missed! But, seriously B, if it will make you feel better, while you’re doing all this writing we could tone things down from bananas foster to banana cream pie. What’s so funny?”

Blaine was able to say “You said cream pie!” before falling over laughing, this time Sebastian joining in. The heaviness of their previous conversations melted away and when they were able to collect themselves they were back to being who they were when Sebastian had first arrived. “Maybe we could tone it down a little” Blaine said in that special tone that was probably their biggest problem “but not until we have our day of debauchery. How about we start with a skinny dip? No one can see in.”

“That sounds nice but…”

“What is it, Bas?”

“I’m not ready to lose my Uptown Girl Blaine, and if we got in the water…”

“Last year at McKinley, the New Directions helped Schuster propose to Emma with this big 1950’s Ester Williams movie-style swimming number.” Sebastian had no idea where Blaine was going with that until he pointed at his hair. “Never moved. Water just beaded and rolled right off.”

Sebastian didn’t want to wait. He grabbed Blaine and pulled them both into the pool. They’d get to the skinny-dipping part eventually.


	49. New York Besties & A Very Special Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian meets an intriguing friend of Rachel’s, Sam works on his plan for Nationals and Blaine shows someone how fairytale magic is real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the first section Rachel has an internal monologue which will be in italics.
> 
> Adam shows up in this chapter. While his backstory will change slightly his purpose will be the same as it was in canon. Any idea what that is?
> 
> In canon, Rachel and Kurt repeatedly tell Finn that CallBacks is a karaoke bar (Episode 4x04: The Break-Up) but once there we find out it’s a piano bar (oops writers). As previously stated, I am choosing to make it a piano bar with karaoke on weekends.
> 
> Reminder: As I said in an end note a while back, in this story the trip to CallBacks when Blaine went to see Kurt (Episode 4x04: The Break-Up) will mirror canon with the big except of Blaine did not sing Teenage Dream.
> 
> And no Brittany the math genius.

** Sebastian & Rachel **

“Tell me again why we had to come all the way down here when we already practiced?”

Rachel knew Sebastian’s whining had an ulterior motive but she wasn’t going to give in “Because I have to change our reservation with Adam. Plus, I want to make sure we get our spots for the New York Besties Challenge. We have to go first so I can play up the NYADA beating Julliard angle since so many of my school mates are enamored with your boyfriend and there’s a good chance they would cheer for him.”

“Ok, I get it. So, are you going to tell this Adam guy who Jackie arranged for you to meet while you were in LA?”

“Sebastian Alexander Smythe, stop it. There is no way you’re going to get me to say Barbra Streisand…Damn it! You tricked me!”

Sebastian opened the door as they had reached their destination “Here you thought you could go a whole day. By the way, Santana won the pool. She said you couldn’t go 2 hours.” He looked at his watch and laughed “And for the record, you went a whole 45 minutes.”

“So, Blaine got you to say cream pie” Rachel retorted as she walked into CallBacks. “How many points was that on the sex terms word game?”

“I think 50…”

Before Sebastian could finish, a good-looking man came into the room from the back “Rachel, right on time I see. That must be this gentleman’s doing.” He turned to Sebastian and held out his hand for him to shake “Adam Crawford, welcome to CallBacks.”

“Sebastian Smythe.”

 _What the Fuck?_ Rachel noticed chemistry between the two after about half a second. “Yes, Bastian is Blaine Anderson’s boyfriend.”

“Ah, our infamous Mr. Anderson. Well, Sebastian Smythe, your boyfriend is a very lucky man.”

Rachel felt the need to jump in again when she noticed… _What the hell, Sebastian’s actually blushing_! “I met Barbra Streisand when I was in LA” she blurted out.

That refocused Adam’s attention “You met our goddess?”

“Yes, she did” Sebastian confirmed. “One of the Warblers’ mom is a record executive and she arranged for Ray and her dads to have dinner with her.”

“That must have been amazing but what is a Warbler?”

“The Warblers is the name of my Glee Club” Sebastian answered with a smile which earned him a kick to the shin from his bestie “Hey!”

Adam pretended not to notice and went on as if nothing happened. “Oh, I seem to remember something said about the Warblers in the _Rebel Yell_ video your Blaine was in.”

“You saw that?”

“Blaine’s YouTube videos are quite popular on campus since everyone found out he was _That Guy_.”

“ _That Guy_?” Sebastian asked.

“ _That Guy_ who is a finalist at NYADA without applying” Rachel told him and then tried to change the subject. “And speaking of Glee Club, Adam runs NYADA’s version of Glee Club. It’s very popular and hard to get in.”

“Technically, we perform satire set to music. Something like that group out of Michigan that’s so popular online.”

“Bastian, they have a version of _Baby Got Back_ that will crack you up.” _Shit!_ Rachel knew she would regret saying that the moment after she said it.

However, Sebastian laughed at just the mention of the song causing Adam to ask “What’s so funny?”

“Blaine thought that was the Valentine’s song I was going to sing to him so he made a plan to pay me back including his performance with Ray of _Don’t You Want Me_...”

“…But instead he sang _In Your Eyes_ to Blaine, his boyfriend, and it was beautiful” Rachel finished for him.

“I’m quite sure it was” Adam said with a sincerity that caused Rachel to think... _Oh No, No, No. I know he did not go there_. “Maybe you, and your Blaine of course, could stop by sometime and we could perform it for you. Or better yet, you could join us and surprise him.”

 _In the words of Miss Mercedes Jones, Oh Hell to the No!_ “Bastian is only in town for a week and he’s extremely busy.”

“Too bad, it would have been fun. Now, Rachel why did you want to meet?”

“I wanted to know if we could fit 9 more into our reservation.”

Sebastian was confused “Nine? I thought it was just Mike.”

“Wes called me this morning and evidently 4 other former Warblers will be in town and I forgot the protection detail.”

Sebastian looked out the window and saw Daniel waiting outside. He had argued that he had agreed to a protection detail when he moved to New York. Ok, he knew that was a technicality but Puck was in Paris watching Julien and Julien was the reason he agreed to Daniel in the first place. He obviously lost the argument. “Adam, you realize that makes our total 28 people. Damn, that seems like a lot when you say it out loud.”

“I don’t see a problem. I talked to the owner before I said yes to your original reservation and he said to bring in as many as you can. Business is always slow the Saturday before school resumes after a break as most student who left town do not return until Sunday. Sebastian, is something wrong?

Sebastian had zoned out a bit as he realized with Adam he might have a solution to a problem. “Adam, are you doing anything Saturday afternoon?”

“Why Mr. Smythe, are you asking me on a date?”

 _WHAT?! Blaine! Blaine! Blaine!_ “Of course, he’s not” Rachel snapped. “He has a boyfriend.”

“Rachel, I was joking” Adam tried to clarify but she didn’t believe him. “And Sebastian, my only plan was to catch a football match on the sports channel until 6PM when I need to be here.”

“Before you agree to anything, you should probably hear what I’m asking. Like Ray said earlier, the Warblers are going to Nationals but her old Glee Club, the New Directions are going as well and we are all friends. In fact, Blaine, my co-captain, is best friends with the New Directions Captain, Sam. We’re having a meeting Saturday afternoon to lay down some ground rules so things will stay that way and we need a neutral moderator. I was hoping maybe you would do it since your only tie to either group is your friendship with Ray.”

“Well, one could also say you and I have become friends and in the spirit of that newfound friendship, I would be honored to moderate your get-together.”

 _Are these two idiots serious_? “Ok, that’s great, but Bastian and I have to go soon and we also need to reserve two slots for Saturday.”

“Make that three” Sebastian said. “The guys and I want to perform something. Truthfully, it’s another Stress Relief video. Is it alright that we want to film it here?”

“Most certainly.” Adam actually seemed excited by the request. “In fact, I had forgotten to tell you that when my owner heard who would be here, he hoped some videos would get online as it seems Blaine is videoed any time he performs. All he asks is that you mention CallBacks. And no need for concern, we will be prepared if that brings in an excessive crowd as I will reiterate, your boyfriend has quite the fanbase at NYADA. We have also been known to get the occasional Julliard student but we are considered enemy territory.”

Sebastian looked wide-eyed at Rachel who responded with a nod. She had told him she left for Ohio early when she was bombarded with questions about Blaine, or _That Guy_ , but he had no idea it was that bad. He wondered if Blaine knew. “Oh wow. Ok, I’ll make sure anytime any of our group performs they mention CallBacks. And Ray, Blaine plans on telling Sam we’re planning on doing this.”

“Oh, don’t worry about Sam. He’s already working on a plan for Nationals.”

**Sam & Nichole**

“Thanks for helping me, Nichole. I probably would have never found the address Rachel gave me and wound up in New Jersey.”

“It’s no problem, Sam. I would still be sitting at the loft, torturing myself about what’s going to happen on Saturday when I see Jeff again. I just shouldn’t come.”

Sam wrapped her arm in his as they continued to walk “You’re going to come and face Jeff and your brother. You did the right thing and Jeff will see that in time. Trust me as someone whose actually been cheated on and is still friends with his ex and the guy she cheated with.” Just when Nichole thought she couldn’t fall in any deeper, Sam smiled and added “I promise.”

There were a million things she wanted to say but all that came out was “Oh look, we’re here.” He opened the door for her, of course, then they walked up the front desk.

“Excuse me” Sam said, getting the receptionist’s attention “I have an appointment with Ms. Cochran. My name is Sam Evans.”

The receptionist led them back to an office where they were greeted by Shelby “Ah Sam, I remember you now” she said as they shook hands. “Rachel said I would be able to put your name with a face as soon as I saw you.”

“Thank you, Ms. Cochran and this my friend Nichole Duval. She is a friend of Rachel’s as well.”

“Please have a seat” she motioned to a couple of chairs as she rounded back behind her desk. “And please call me Shelby.”

“Alright Shelby.” Sam had thought a lot about this and hoped she would agree to help. “I am this year’s Captain of the New Directions and we are preparing for Nationals. I’ve come here for your advice.”

“I’m surprised Will is fine with you talking with me about something like this.” Shelby had no idea where this was going but she wouldn’t deny that she was interested in finding out.

“He doesn’t know. He’s been suspended, twice, as our advisor and while I hope that will be a wake-up call for him, I’m not counting on it and need a back-up plan.”

“Suspended?”

“Let’s just say he has had problems letting go of last year and has made some questionable decisions that haven't sat well with our new principal, Sue Sylvester.”

“That doesn’t surprise me. He’s been trying to use the Nationals title you kids won as his ticket out of Lima since the moment he was handed the trophy.”

“Yeah, he couldn’t get to DC fast enough.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about.” Shelby wondered if she should say anything, but Sam seemed to be a good kid and he deserved the truth. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this but Jesse St. James told me that he overheard part of a conversation Will had with Carmen Tibideaux after your win. He asked about a teaching position he heard was opening at NYADA and she shut him down immediately and told him to not waste his time applying. Jesse couldn’t hear what her reasoning was, but he said Will was pretty upset when she walked away.”

“Great he was already trying to ditch us before the Seniors were even gone.”

Nichole could see Sam was upset and before she realized what she was doing, she reached over and gave his hand a squeeze. She was horrified with herself until Sam moved his hand on top of hers and did the same. Now she was a puddle of goo forcing words to come out of her mouth “Tell Shelby your idea, Sam.”

“Oh yeah, thanks Nichole. That’s only the whole reason we’re here and everything. Shelby, I learned from preparing for Regionals that I have to have all the outside help I can get. With what you just told me it sounds like I’ll need more than I thought, but I do have a plan to work from if necessary. Around Valentine’s Day we had a Diva-off with the Warblers and they performed our _Control_ routine from last year’s Sectionals.”

“I remember that routine. It was really good and did an excellent job of hiding your members that couldn't dance.”

“It was, but the Warblers did it 10 times better. My idea is to do what they did only with routines that are complete but didn’t take to competition...unfortunately, this is another idea I'm _borrowing_ from the Warblers. But, if push comes to shove and Mr. Schue doesn’t pull his head out of his ass, we at least have a place to start. We will just have to make them 10 times better.”

“That’s a good idea only how do I fit into it?”

“One of the best routines I’ve ever seen was the video Sugar showed me of the TroubleTones and their Adele mash-up. Would you be willing to help make it a co-ed routine? Not yet because Mr. Schue is still our advisor and will have to be given a chance to redeem himself, but just in case. And just so you know, we have a lot of good dancers this year. No hiding necessary.”

“I’d be happy to. That was my favorite TroubleTones number and in hindsight we should have done it at Sectionals. Let me give you my card with my number so you don’t have to call Rachel first if it winds up that you need me.”

Sam stood and took the card before shaking her hand once again “Thank you, I really appreciate this.”

He went to motion to Nichole that they were leaving, but she was already standing next to him. After, a few more minutes of pleasantries and a final goodbye, they found themselves back out on the busy sidewalk. “That went better than I anticipated.”

“Sam, you know that even if Jeff and Nick were to talk to me, I wouldn’t tell them or any other Warbler your plan.”

“Nichole, I believe you or I wouldn't have invited you into the office with me” Sam told her which made them both smile. “And while we’re talking about believing, I have a question for you. Do you believe in fairy tale magic?”

**Blaine & Santana and eventually several others including Bibbi**

Blaine and Santana were waiting in an office at Vogue, watching the clock as they waited for the others to arrive. They were also in the middle of a conversation but Blaine could tell something else was bothering his best girl.

“Brit knows that I would cover her college, right? That money’s not an object.”

“This is Brittany we’re talking about. She would never take your money. Plus, she’s not made for college and we all know it. Hell, she’d probably be getting ready for her third Senior year if you didn’t arrange for all that extra help.”

“There’s got to be something we can do.”

“If there is I can’t think of it.” Santana dropped her head causing Blaine to join her on the sofa and put his arm around her. She sunk back into him, put her head on his shoulder and began to cry. “I can’t be a Lima Loser, Blaine. You got me my internship but I’ve worked so hard for this chance. I can’t give it up…not even for Brittany.”

“I know, Sweetie. We’ll come up with an answer.”

Santana sat up and stared at him like he had lost his mind “When the fuck have I ever been a Sweetie?”

“You are a Sweetie but you spend too much time trying to hide it.” Santana cuddled back into his shoulder and he gave her a kiss on top of the head because that was kind of their thing. After determining that the Brittany conversation had run its course, Blaine asked “Are you going to tell me what else is wrong?”

Santana heard her phone ping with a text that read some of those they were waiting for were on their way up. “No, we’re about to have company.”

“Ok, but I’m not letting this go.”

“I know” but Santana prayed he would. Earlier that day she watched Sebastian Skype with Izzy, talking all kinds of cute baby talk. Then Rachel came in and Santana flashed back to when Rachel thought she was pregnant with Brody’s baby. She couldn't get it out of her head. Hopefully if Blaine remembered to bring it up again she'd have thought of something else to share. He didn’t need to know this.

Fortunately, Sam and Nicole came in and Sam had a new crisis to talk about. “Blaine, you and the other Warblers need to talk to Thad. He bought Kitty a car.” Sam handed Blaine his phone to show him the picture Kitty sent.

“Tight-wad Harwood bought Kitty a $60,000 Lexus convertible?” Blaine asked but then let out a groan “He’s still trying to win her back. Shit!”

While Blaine got on the phone with Kitty to find out what exactly happened, Santana slyly moved toward Nichole, startling her when she said “I didn’t know you were coming.”

“Sam invited me. Is that a problem?”

“Oh no, this is his sister’s birthday gift from Blaine so if he invited you its all good.” Santana stopped and listened as Blaine put Kitty on speaker so Sam could here what she was saying. “You know what’s going on, right?”

“Yeah. After Sam and Nari decided to stop seeing each other due to distance, Sugar and my brother did the same. Kitty broke-up with Thad as well, but he refuses to accept it.”

“You should tell Trouty you dropped out of Harvard and are moving to New York.” Nichole went into a panic but Santana just shook her head “All of us girls know, but I sure Sam and the other guys are oblivious.”

“How?...I mean how…”

“How did we figure it out? The fact that you have told all of us several times that we were fucking idiots for dumping him was a pretty big clue.”

Before Nicole could respond, Sebastian and Rachel came in. It was obvious Rachel was pissed and Sebastian was ignoring her. “How did it go at CallBacks?” Blaine asked Sebastian after handing the phone back to Sam.

“Pretty great. Adam had no problems getting everyone in or us filming a Stress Relief video there. And get this, he runs what might be considered NYADA’s Glee Club so I asked him if he would be our neutral moderator for our ground rules meeting and he said yes.”

“Neutral my ass” Rachel practically spat out. “He spent the entire time blatantly flirting with you!”

“Kitty, I’ve got to hang-up now” Sam said as he moved out of the possible line of fire. He could tell by Blaine’s body language that he was holding in his inner Wolverine.

“He flirted with you?”

“B, Adam wasn’t flirting, he’s British. His voice just naturally sounded that way.”

“Um, I truly hate to end this little melodrama” Santana said as she held up her phone “But Trouty’s parents and the guest of honor are on their way up. Everyone not the big brother or the guy giving this ridiculous birthday present to an 8 year-old follow me.”

Once they left Sam went over and stood next to Blaine “You know you have a concert a week from tomorrow and need to protect your hands. You can’t go all Wolverine on that dude’s ass.”

“I know. I’ll have Cam have one of the guys do it if the asshole doesn’t back the hell off. What’s so funny?”

“Blaine, on Tuesday you and I recorded 3 songs in a major music studio. Then I met a bunch of music executives and Katy Perry, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and that opera guy that sang the Italian song with you. Then this morning I got a lawyer and an agent and found out I’m making $10,000 for helping Santana. I also learned that Abercrombie wants to pay me six figures for taking off my shirt for some pictures when 2 years ago I was ecstatic if I made $60 taking it off at the strip club. You threatening to put a mob hit out on a guy who flirted with Sebastian is probably the most normal thing that has happened all week.”

“Sammy! Blaine!”

The rest of the Evans, minus Stevie, had arrived and Stacie immediately ran from her parents and into Sam’s arms. “That is a very pretty dress you’re wearing Miss Birthday Girl.”

“Sebastian sent it to the hotel. His sister made it.”

“Yes, my 8 year-old is wearing Dior” Mary Evans said as she and her husband had caught up. “That’s pretty surreal.”

“Where’s Stevie?” Blaine asked.

Sam’s dad Dwight smiled and let out a chuckle just thinking about it. “Back at the hotel with Quinn, probably talking her ear off about going to the ball game tomorrow and meeting the Yankees. You know Blaine, this is pretty over the top.”

“Sorry Mr. E but if Cooper calls Sam his other little brother then I get the twins.” Sam could see the sadness in Blaine’s eyes mentioning Cooper, but it looked like his parents didn’t notice.”

“Blaine, when are you going to start calling me Dwight?”

“When Sam calls my dad Charles.”

“So never. Alright Birthday Girl, are you ready for Blaine to give you your present? Daddy wants to know why we had to come all the way to New York besides Stevie’s Yankee game.”

Sam went to his parents and Blaine knelt in front of Stacie “Before we do this I have to tell you a story…more like a fairy tale.”

“Like Cinderella?”

“Exactly like Cinderella. Stacie, I have a Fairy Godmother. Her name is Bibbi.”

She was a little skeptical but told herself that Blaine wouldn’t make something like that up. “Her name is Bibbi like Bibbity-Boppity-Boo?”

“Yes and you are the first person knew that. That’s because in your heart you believe in fairy tale magic. Now, here is the important part. She wants to meet you but you can’t tell anyone that Bibbi’s my Fairy Godmother. Only the people here today know who she really is. It has to be that way so she can protect fairy tale magic here in the real world.”

Stacie turned back to look at her parents and brother, each giving her a nod so she turned back to Blaine and asked “Mommy, Daddy and Sammie know but not Stevie?”

“Yes. Your mommy, daddy and Sammie have magic too or you wouldn’t have it. Stevie is going to find his magic tomorrow but like I said, there are some other people you know here too.”

“Is one Sebastian because he’s your prince?”

Blaine took her hands and gave her an even bigger smile. This was going even better than he hoped it would. The little girl had just been through so much in the last 3 years that he wanted this to be special. “Yes, Sebastian is here and he is my prince. His family has a castle in a place called France.”

Mary and Dwight turned to Sam, each with an expression that said _Really?_ When Sam gave them a nod, they simultaneously mouthed the word _Wow!_

“And Santana is here because she works for Bibbi and we have a new friend here named Nichole. She comes from a land called Camelot.”

Mary and Dwight turned to Sam yet again knowing Camelot meant Kennedy. Again, he gave a nod and again they gave a _Wow_!

“Oh, I almost forgot Rachel.”

When Stacie asked _What’s Rachel’s magic?_ Blaine drew a complete blank but Sam helped out. “She has a magic voice.”

“That’s right, she has a magic voice.” Blaine let go of her hands and held up his pinky “Are you ready to promise that you won’t tell anyone Bibbi’s and my secret?” After Stacie gave her pinky promise, Blaine stood up and took her hand. “Now, Bibbi doesn’t look like the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. Here in the real world she has to make people think she’s mean in order to protect fairy tale magic, but we know better. And I’m the only one that calls her Bibbi. Everyone else calls her Ms. Wintour.”

Stacie held on tightly to Blaine’s hand as they walked down a hallway and stopped in front of a lady who was standing in front of two big doors. Blaine was right, she looked mean.

“Are you Stacie Evans?” she asked.

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“Oh, you have manners. That’s good. Did Charming tell you the rules?”

Blaine leaned down and whispered “She calls me Charming.”

“Yes, Ma’am. Blaine told me the rules.”

“Good. Behind these doors is where the fairy tale magic is kept. If you break the rules you will not be permitted to see it again. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Blaine’s Godmother opened the doors and Stacie walked into what in her opinion was the best room in the entire world. There were lots of big beautiful dresses that a princess would wear, but in the middle of the room was the most perfect dress she had ever seen. It was exactly like Cinderella’s dress but in her size. There was also a pair of sparkly shoes and…

“A tiara, Bibbi? Seriously?”

“Every princess must have one, Charming” she said in that matter of fact tone she was famous for.

“Thank you.” Blaine leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek “You know I love you.”

“Of course” she said and walked away. Yeah, sentimentality wasn’t her thing. Blaine went back to the room and smiled as he watched everyone fuss over the birthday girl. And it looked like Sam and Stacie’s mom had found…CAKE!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things you learn in research: Anna Wintour’s daughter was a producer on Glee: The 3D Concert Movie.
> 
> In Chapter 34, Beat asked Blaine if he thought Sam would like meeting Tim McGraw and Faith Hill as a thank you for dealing with Tina after he and Mike let everyone know they were a couple.


	50. Saturday in New York, Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day has just begun and Kurt hits a roadblock as he tries to move forward, Sebastian and Blaine fight about telling others about Tommy, Sam establishes himself as leader of the New Directions and Blaine tells the guys about the reason behind his new Graduation Plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When Blaine refers to his Tommy he calls him Tommy. When Blaine refers to Rachel’s Tommy he calls him Brody. This will eventually become a thing since Blaine never remembered to call his Uncle Robert Al Motta when they were at the courthouse.
> 
> Canon dialogue (Episode 3x12) was uses in this story. I do not own or am associated with the television show Glee.

**9AM: Loft**

“So, where is everyone staying?” Finn asked.

Rachel went to the refrigerator and pulled off the list Sebastian made for her “Just the New Directions or Warblers too?”

Mercedes was on the couch watching the goo-goo eyes happening between the former high school sweethearts. She had volunteered to stay at the loft to, for lack of a better term, help with Kurt. It never occurred to her that meant Finchel déjà vu. “Shouldn’t we wait for Kurt so we only have to go through this once? I don’t want him to think we didn’t share something.”

When Finn and Kurt arrived the night before Kurt told the three of them about his talk with Chandler and how his only goal for the week, besides getting into NYADA, was to reconnect with his friends. They wanted to believe him but Blaine was going to be in the spotlight on multiple occasions, Rachel and Sebastian were now friends, Mercedes was dating someone he couldn’t stand and Santana was working at Vogue.

While they all agreed Kurt was responsible for what he was going through, they also agreed those factors were a lot for him to deal with.

“I’ll get him.” Finn got up and went to Rachel’s “room” where Kurt had slept. He announced himself but didn’t get an answer so he pulled back the curtain and saw Kurt crying. The video he was watching on his I-Pad explained why...Blaine on stage at the Katy Perry concert singing " _Teenage Dream_ , Dude? Why would you do that to yourself?”

**9AM: Wes and David’s Student Housing**

Sam looked around the room, trying to determine if everyone else was confused as he was. “So, you’re saying that Eli guy was really Tommy? Does Seb know?”

“I told him everything when we were in Vegas.”

When Sebastian told him he didn’t want to be there when he told Sam, Beat, Wes and David about Tommy, Blaine had been disappointed but he understood. Well, he said he did. Then they had a fight over his plan to invite Trent so Sebastian would have someone to talk with about the situation. However, that fight was minor compared to the one they had when Blaine said he wasn’t going to tell Jeff, Nick and Thad. He felt the more people that knew the more likely the two people he didn’t want to find out would...Rachel because she would be hurt and Finn because there was no guarantee he wouldn’t punch Brody again.

“Does this have something to do with the letter?” Beat asked then realized Wes, David and Trent didn’t know that part. “Tommy sent a letter to Seb’s dad’s office. He gave it to Mr. A who gave it to me and Sam to give to Bud when we were in LA. Neither of us know what it said.”

“I still love you” Blaine told him. “That was it.”

While four of them were rendered speechless, that was not the case with Wes. “What the fuck does he mean he still loves you? He disappeared for 3 years then tricked you into seeing him only to disappear again. Then he has the audacity to send you a letter saying he still loves you. When the fuck did he ever love you to begin with? That makes no sense. Fuck Blaine, you’re back at Dalton, ridiculously in love with Sebastian, co-captain of the Warblers who are headed to Nationals and are about to play a concert at Lincoln Center as The Future of Julliard. Why the hell is he doing this now?”

“Because he’s here in New York and I'm pretty sure he's behind me being a finalist at NYADA without applying.”

“Of course, he is.”

Blaine hated seeing his mentor like this. He was usually the one in control of his emotions while everyone else freaked out. "Please let me get through this. We don't have a lot of time before the others arrive and I don't want them to know. At least not yet."

Wes sat back into his chair and waved his arm “Warbler Blaine, the floor is yours.”

**9AM: Smythe Apartment**

Sebastian was on his bed staring at the ceiling. The fight with Blaine was running through his mind on a loop, especially since it was his fault. He had told Blaine that no matter how much he loved him, his attack and Tommy belonged only to him. Although to be fair, that’s before he knew that Tommy was that bastard Brody. Hey, at least he didn’t call him slut or whore like he did when he first found out.

He knew he should have gone with Blaine to Wes and David’s, he just couldn’t listen to the Tommy/Eli/Brody story again. He also strongly disagreed with Blaine’s decision not to tell Jeff, Nick and Thad. At least he had gotten him to agree to tell them when they returned to Dalton.

“Just get up and go dumb ass” he told himself, but before he could even sit up his phone rang with an unknown number. “Hello?”

“Sebastian, it’s Adam, Adam Crawford. Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“No, of course not. I was thrown off because you came up as an unknown number. Guess I should have programed your number in when you gave it to me but Ray was practically dragging me out the door. She’s stronger than she appears.”

“Did you make it to the birthday party on time? The Rachel I know tends to run a tad late for things.”

“Yes, we did, thank you. Now, why did you call? Not that I mind, after all you are doing me and my friends a huge favor.”

“Not really, as you piqued my curiosity with the idea of two rival show choirs setting down rules in an attempt to remain friends while preparing for Nationals. Sebastian, I called because I believe there is a problem with the address I was given. Is your meeting truly being held at one of the best restaurants in the city? And if it is, how did you get reservations on such short notice? I’m not trying to be rude, it’s just once again my curiosity is getting the better of me. You are a very interesting person Mr. Smythe.”

“That I am, Mr. Crawford, that I am. To answer your questions, I should first tell you that the Warblers have two mottos to live by… _Once a_ _Warbler, always a Warbler_ and _It’s not what you know, it’s who you know_. A former Warbler is an investor in the restaurant and not only got us the reservation but is picking up the tab as sort of a congratulations on making it to Nationals.”

“Well then, those are two rather impressive mottos. Thank you for clarifying that for me. I have a horrid habit of getting directions wrong which is quite embarrassing considering I have lived in the city for a little over 4 years. I would hate for you to think less of me if I was late due to going to the wrong address.”

“Then let me send a car for you. It’s the least I can do.”

“Oh Sebastian, that is quite unnecessary. I can take the Underground to…”

“Adam, it’s fine. My family has a service on-call whenever we’re in the city. Just hold on while I get something to write down your address.”

An hour later Sebastian had changed and was ready to head to Wes and David’s when he was surprised not only by the door opening but the person who opened it. Technically, person and a half.

“Iz…” he began to say when Sierra interrupted him with _Shh_. Yeah, he probably should have noticed that Izzy was asleep. “What are you two doing here, Sis? I thought you weren’t coming back until Monday.”

"Bonjour à toi aussi, morveux."

Sebastian walked over and gave her both a hug and the French double cheek kiss. “I’m sorry if I didn’t sound happy to see you because I am.” He walked her over to the couch because she looked exhausted, then went and got her a glass of water. “Did something happen in Paris?”

“No, your disaster of a fitting happened yesterday. I’m not even settled into my new job yet and I had to spend 20 minutes on the phone with Anna Wintour trying to explain why her staff needs to come in on a Sunday.”

“If it’s that big of a problem I won’t go to Boston.”

“No, you moving your departure time to later tomorrow evening should be enough. Thank you for that.” Sierra took a drink of her water then tilted her head back and closed her eyes. “I didn’t mean to unload on you, Seb. It was a long trip and when I changed the tickets Rosa had to take a later flight. She’s been with me less than a week and I don’t know how I could do this without her.”

Sebastian scooted closer and wrapped her in a hug “You’re learning to be a single parent while taking charge of Baby Dior, give yourself a break. I’ll stay until Mom gets back so you can go take a nap. Better yet, I’ll take Izzy with me. There will be tons of people around to keep her happy.”

“Seb…”

“No, I’m doing this.” He let go of her and went to the stroller to check Izzy’s bag. He must have been noisy. “Izzy-wizzy, you’re awake.” He picked her up and she immediately reached for his face to play their _I’m going to eat your fingers_ game. “Did you miss your Uncle Sebby?”

“Bas.”

His eyes flew open, but he was able to remain calm and ask her “What did you say, Princess?”

“Bas…Bas…Bas”

“Surprise. Guess what her first word was?” Sierra laughed watching her brother’s stunned expression turn into a huge smile. “Evidently, your wonderful boyfriend had been trying to teach her and then Rosa took over. If you listen carefully sometimes she says it with a southern accent.”

“Izzy-wizzy, did Blaine and Rosa teach you how to say Bas?”

“Bas.”

“Go take your nap, Sis. Izzy and I owe my boyfriend a great big kiss.”

**11AM: Loft**

The minute Sam arrived Santana pulled him into her “room” for some privacy. “You ok? Blaine dropped a lot of shit on you all at once.”

“That’s an understatement. Tommy is Eli is _Brody_?” Sam took a minute to calm himself because this was not the time for the in-depth discussion the two of them should have. “How do I go in there and look at Rachel, let alone talk to her?”

“You don’t look at her directly. Answer any of her questions but try to keep your responses to 5 words or less. I’m serious. I’ve avoided her since LA. She thinks I’m mad at her but it’s better than the alternative.” Then she gave Sam a hug, which scared him a little until he realized she was being sincere “You can do this. Trouty…Sam, I’m proud of you. You are the leader of the New Directions now…not Finn, not Rachel and definitely not Mr. Schue. Everyone in that room believes in you. Do you?”

“I do” he reassured her as he pulled away. “And as my first official act of the day…No referring to Blaine and Sebastian as Seblaine Jr. and Sr. to piss off Kurt.”

“Damn Trouty, I said leader not dictator.”

When the two stepped out into the living/dining area they joined Finn, Rachel, Kurt and Quinn at the table but a few others were noticeable absent. “Where’s everyone else?” Finn asked.

“You know Mercedes is at rehearsal. Mike didn’t want to be put in a bad spot because of Beat but he’ll be at lunch. I asked Sugar to take Tina and Amanda shopping. Some of the things I want to talk to you guys about would most likely set Tina off.”

“And Artie?”

“He doesn’t get in town until Monday.”

Kurt looked around the table and realized everyone was staring at him. “Do you want me to leave?”

To everyone’s surprise, Sam said “No. I have questions you may have answers to. Before I get started, does everyone know Mr. Schue has been suspended again?”

“I didn’t know” Quinn said as she suddenly felt out of the loop. “What for this time?”

“Behavior unbecoming of a staff member. He admitted to Sue that he pulled in a bunch of favors to get our Regionals changed so that we didn’t have to compete against the Warblers. I think part of it was she didn’t want him to try something while I’m not there. Whatever the reason, that was his second strike and she told him if he gets a third she’ll fire him.”

“So, Mr. Schue really has gone off the deep end like Tina said?”

“Yeah, but he is still our advisor. I’m hoping his suspensions and the thought of being fired pulls his head out of his ass. Unfortunately, I think it’s more likely that we’ll need a back-up plan.”

“Why?”

Sam discovered that Santana was right about not looking directly at Rachel when she talked to you, and she had only said one word. “You guys know I went to see Shelby Cochran yesterday, right?” They all nodded, but when Finn was going to ask why, Sam held up his hand as a signal to wait. “She gave me an interesting piece of information. The problem is her source.”

“Who?” Rachel asked.

“Jesse St. James.”

There was groans and eye rolls from Finn, Santana, Quinn and Rachel but not from Kurt. Sam brushed it off, at least for the moment. “Supposedly, Jesse overheard Mr. Schue ask Carmen Thibodaux about a job opening at NYADA and she told him to not bother to apply. Jesse didn’t hear why but told Shelby that Mr. Schue was pretty pissed.”

“I believe him” Kurt said to the shock of all others at the table. “Remember when Mr. Schue disappeared from the celebration after we won?” They did. “Blaine and I volunteered to find him and when we did he said some extremely rude things to Blaine. We thought he was venting because Sue was telling anyone that would listen that she was the reason we won. Blaine said to let it go because he didn’t want to ruin the moment. I know I’m not supposed to talk about him, but I honestly think Blaine has something to do with this.”

“Sam, do you think this has anything to do with Blaine being a finalist at NYADA without applying?”

This time Santana and Sam actually did avoid looking at Rachel. They both knew Blaine thought the reason behind that was Tommy…Brody…yeah, they were going to have to decide on what to call him. “Blaine has an idea but he’s not saying until he talks with NYADA admissions on Monday.” Sam broke the 5 word rule but Rachel seemed to accept his response.

“I think Kurt’s right” Finn said with a huge sigh, mad at himself for once again making excuses for someone’s behavior toward Blaine. “Let’s just say I’m pretty sure his return to McKinley after Blaine left wasn’t a coincidence. He had always told me he would be back after the first of the year.”

Santana left the table and began her patented yelling/swearing in Spanish but Quinn was confused. Yes, Wes had vented to her about Mr. Schue’s (and others) treatment of Blaine but she never thought she’d hear Finn say something. “Sam, I think you better get that back-up plan ready.”

“You know what needs to happen?” Santana had an Auntie Snixx look in her eyes as she rejoined the table. Sam wasn’t above admitting that it scared him a little. “Sue should fire his ass and bring in that hot-as-fuck David Martinez. It kills two birds with one stone, pisses off Schuster and gives the New Directions some serious Duende.”

Quinn began to fan herself as she thought back to the day the Spanish teacher came to Glee and sang _I’m Sexy and I Know It._ “A performance with duende transforms you. Makes you sing, makes you cry, makes you laugh. Makes you want to kiss a person you love. A song sung in Spanish must have duende.”

“Ok, we’re not singing in Spanish but Santana’s right about one thing. Mr. Schue would be pissed. He was totally jealous of the guy. I don’t think we need that kind of drama, plus we have Holly.”

“Holly?” Finn asked but the girls knew what he was hinting at.

Sam freed this long hair from it’s tie and began staring at Santana with a focus she was very familiar with. It was the same stare Blaine and Sebastian used when eye-fucking each other. So, in other words, all the time.

_Every growin' boy needs a little joy, all you do is sit an' stare_  
_Beggin' on my knees, baby won't you please_  
_Run your fingers through' my hair_

“Ok Trouty, you’ve proven your point but you’re still getting your hair cut at the photo shoot.”

When Quinn, Rachel and Kurt let out “Nooooooo!” in unison, Santana made a mental note to talk to her editor.

**11AM: Wes and David’s Student Housing**

“How did you know?” Jeff asked after David admitted he had known Fight Club betting funded his scholarship and he told Mr. Montgomery when he became the acting Head Master.

“Um…well, at first I thought you guys had just talked your parents into putting up the money. Then Blaine left Dalton and you guys weren’t as…um, consistent with how the funding got deposited. Then Mr. Money came back and I knew for sure.”

“Guys, Wes’ dad has known about this for months” Blaine reminded them. “And the rumor about my being sent to McKinley as a consequence seems to be working. Plus, I talked to my uncle. He knows a few people in the gambling industry...”

“His Uncle knows some bookies” Thad clarified for the former Warblers that had joined them. Two were from the year before Wes and David and the other two were from the class before that.

One of the four was Chester. He was to Wes as Wes was to Blaine, but Blaine did not know him well. “And what did this uncle of yours say, Blaine.”

“Since we always wore gloves in could be called Boxing Club and not Fight Club which sounds better. That and the former Head Master was in charge the entire time so he could take the fall for lack of supervision and since none of us were 18 before the last fight it would be a juvenile offense anyway. We gave all the paperwork to my brother so it’s out of Dalton and it’s hard to prove there was betting without it, especially when they’ll never find the money.”

“And how are you so sure they won’t find it?”

“Because I’ve had 2 tax fraud accountants from the IRS and a private detective who specializes in finding money hidden by people going through a divorce try to find it. They haven’t come close.”

“Warbler Network?”

“The IRS agents yes. The private detective was brought in by my uncle.”

Wes got up and answered a knock at the door. Sebastian was late and when he came in they understood why. “Sebastian, Blaine, is there something you two want to tell us? I thought the rhyme went first comes love then marriage _then_ the baby carriage.”

“Bas? When did your sister get back from Paris and why is your niece here?” Blaine asked as he picked up the baby.

“Bas” Izzy said with her one tooth smile.

The guys laughed, but Blaine gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Oh my god, you did it Princess Isabella.”

Sebastian finally got the stroller out of the way and took a seat next to Trent. “They got back probably 2 hours ago and Sierra was in serious need of a nap. My mom is going to pick up Izzy at the restaurant.” Yes, he had been a good brother volunteering to take Izzy, but she had already worn him out. He was thankful for all the present and future Ivy League students making goo-goo noises at her so he could get a break. “What did I miss?”

“Blaine was telling us what my dad said about Dalton being in trouble.” It was easy to tell by the tone of his voice that Wes was upset. “I can’t believe he didn’t tell me.”

“Wes, I’m sure the only reason he told me was because they changed my entire graduation plan to help with Dalton Days.”

Nick nodded his agreement “Yeah, none of us have heard any one say they weren’t coming back next year.”

“Their parents probably haven’t told them. You know what, I’m going to go get some air.” Jeff just got up and walked out. Thad offered to go keep an eye on him.

All eyes turned back to Nick “Hey, he’s my best friend but even I’m tired of the pity party. I may be pissed at my sister for dumping him like that, but I’m with Trent. It was better than her staying with him when she’s in love with someone else.”

“I second that” Blaine said earning him a wink from Sebastian. “Now, does anyone know what the fuck…”

“Hey, language!” Sebastian scolded his boyfriend while reaching over to Izzy and covering her ears.

“Sorry, does anyone know why in the world Thad would buy Kitty a car? Better?”

“Much, thank you.”

While the rest of the guys discussed what Thad had done, Beat pulled Blaine aside “What time do we have to be at the stadium?”

“You and Mike should be there by three and the game starts at four. I talked to Sam’s dad and he said Stevie is driving them crazy.”

“That’s not good considering its only noon.”

Blaine looked at the clock on the wall and saw he was right “Guys, we have to be at the restaurant in an hour. We better get going.”

“Let me text Adam and see if he heard from the car service” Sebastian said and pulled out his phone while getting up to get the stroller.

Beat, hell everyone but Sebastian, watched as Blaine’s entire body tensed “You got Adam a car service?”

“It’s just the one my family uses. When I talked to him this morning…”

David came over and stood with Beat. Just in case “You talked to Adam this morning?” Blaine asked, his voice dripping with over exaggerated sweetness . Wasn’t he supposed to be the oblivious one?

Trent could sense that whatever was going on, it wasn’t going to end well for his best friend “Will one of you please share with the class and tell us who Adam is?”

“Oh, I’m sorry” Sebastian picked up Izzy to strap into the stroller “He’s a friend of Ray’s that I met yesterday. He’s in charge of what would be considered the NYADA Glee Club and I asked him to lunch in case we needed a neutral party.”

“Babe, you’ve seemed to have left out the part about him being tall, blonde, handsome, British and likes to blatantly flirt with my boyfriend.”

“Blaine, you’re being ridiculous. I told you he wasn’t flirting with me. It just sounded that way because he’s British. I’ll meet you outside.”

Trent left with him to help with the stroller and everyone but Wes and Beat followed. “I guess Wolverine is coming to lunch” Nick said to no one in particular. However, one of the former Warblers heard so he and David thought it best to introduce Wolverine to their guests. To say they found the explanation entertaining was an understatement.

Meanwhile back upstairs, Blaine had his eyes shut and was taking deep cleansing breaths to center himself. He knew he was behaving like a jealous idiot which was completely unfair to Sebastian considering the whole Tommy situation, but at the moment he didn’t care. “I’m going to kick that British prick’s ass.”

Beat walked away to call Sam to see what he knew. Ok, technically he was getting the hell out of the way and letting Wes handle Blaine…and he was man enough to admit it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonjour à toi aussi, morveux: Hello to you too, brat. *Google translator
> 
> I’m taking a bit of literary license with Izzy having an S sound in her first word. Let’s just pretend as Sebastian’s niece she is a gifted child with an overwhelming love for her uncle.
> 
> I am basing Sam being the leader of the New Directions on (Episode 5x11 City of Angels). Will told Sam that Finn brought him back from Kentucky to lead the New Directions after he and Rachel were gone (of course Blaine would have still been there. Just saying).
> 
> Do You Want To Touch Me (Oh Yeah): Glitter, Gary; Leander, Mike 1973
> 
> I should have said this earlier, but I am choosing not to have Sam have body dysmorphia issues. I have enough people in therapy.


	51. Saturday in New York, Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second part of the day finds the Warblers and New Directions at lunch. With exes, crushes, and a flirty British guy, will they get around to figuring out how to remain friends while preparing for Nationals? Or perhaps the better question is will they be able to remain friends through lunch?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I used an “iconic” canon scene (and dialogue) as a flashback with minimal changes (well, I added a lot of inner thoughts since you can’t see their faces) to fit my story. See pervious chapter for disclaimer.
> 
> Warning: Mention of character’s presumed death
> 
> Please read end notes for warning concerning the next chapter.

When they set up this lunch, Blaine and Sam thought the biggest problem would be their friendship. They were both captains (well, Blaine was co-captain) but there was no way they were going to ignore each other for the next 7 weeks. It was Finn of all people that came up with the solution. One day a week (they chose Sunday) was to be Blam Day. Blaine and Sam would spend the day together working on music or doing what Santana called _All that geeky crap no one else gives a fuck about_. They promised not to talk about Nationals and that was that. It took 10 minutes.

Now it was time to deal with the real problem and Santana had a plan. It was simple…lock Seblaine in an office until they stopped acting like idiots. Sam was able to charm the key out of the assistant manager (she really needed to talk to her editor about Sam’s hair) and now they just had to trick them to go to the office in the first place.

Getting Blaine had been easy. Sam told him there was a problem with the bill and they needed to go talk to the assistant manager. Sebastian was another story until Trent saw the recently arrived Nari talking to Sugar and Rachel.

“Uh, Seb can we talk.”

“Hey, Trent. Have you met Adam?”

“No, I haven’t.” Trent held out his hand to shake but only because manners dictated he did. “Trent Nixon, Seb’s best friend.”

“Adam Crawford, Sebastian’s newest friend. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Ok, he could see how the voice was a thing. “You too” Not really, attempted boyfriend stealing jerk. “Seb?” Trent didn’t give an explanation but a side-eye led Sebastian to notice Nari had joined the group.

“Sure, let’s go out in the hall. Adam, I’ll be back soon.”

“Is this something where I could be of assistance?” Adam subtly touched Sebastian’s arm as he asked.

Then with perfectly choreographed timing “I’m sure it’s a BFF thing but there is something you can help us with” Rachel said as she and Nari walked up. “A New Directions broke up with a Warbler so he bought her a $60,000 car to win her back. It didn’t work.” They really didn’t need Adam. After dealing with Jeff’s whining, Thad had an epiphany about his own behavior but agreed to play along.

“Oh my, when I was told this could be interesting I had no idea.” Adam turned to Sebastian with a smile Rachel wanted to slap off his face, if she could reach it. “Well Sebastian, I suppose I should go earn the faith you have in me. Ladies, lead the way.”

With Adam gone, Trent led Sebastian out into the hall where, what a coincidence, they ran into Sam. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing, Seb and I just need to talk about something.”

Something was going on and Sebastian knew it. Trent had pulled him out into the hall to talk about Nari but he’s talking with her ex?Usually he’s the one that had to do the talking when it came to all things Sam. “It’s Warbler business. You understand why we can’t say anything.”

“Of course” Sam told him even though he knew he was lying. “But this place is crazy busy. The assistant manager’s office is over there. Maybe she’ll let you use it.”

Sebastian barely had time to ask himself how Sam would know where the assistant manager’s office was when they were there…and so were Wes, Beat and an obviously annoyed Blaine. “What the hell is going on?”

Wes moved away from the door where he had been blocking Blaine’s exit “Ok, this is how this is going down. You two are going to talk with no distractions…Warbler, New Directions or British.”

“Bud, you’ve got an hour until we have to leave for the stadium” Beat reminded him. “We’ll be back in 30 minutes to check on you.”

Tent ignored the annoyed look Sebastian was giving him. “And no one will be answering any calls or texts for help.”

Blaine got up from his chair and gave them his best Wolverine snarl. It didn’t work either. “You can’t keep us here against our will!”

“Yeah!” Sebastian added. “What B said.”

Sam reached in his pocket and pulled out a key “Oh yes, we can.”

The boyfriends stood in disbelief as the sound of their friends’ laughter faded away. “I can’t believe those bastards locked us in here” Blaine said as he sat back down.

For that statement he earned a huff and eye roll from Sebastian “I can’t believe those bastards locked me in here. You, I totally understand.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“You’ve been acting like a brat since you found out Adam would be here.”

“Excuse me if I’m not happy with your denial of his constant come ons.”

“I still love you.”

“Bas, I know you love me…”

“And so does Tommy, at least that’s what his letter said. And let’s not forget Kurt who has failed miserably at not staring at you since he got here.”

Shit! Blaine reached out but Sebastian pulled away. Shit! “Bas, I thought we dealt with this.”

It was Sebastian’s turn to take a seat “I thought we did too.” Neither one of them said anything for a while, not knowing how to go from there. So, Sebastian went back to the original issue. “I miss Paris, B. You know, how you don’t miss something until you can’t have it. I know it sounds weird but Adam reminds me of Paris. He’s a lot like the friends I had while I lived there. That’s why I see his flirting as just his being European. And yes, I know he’s flirting.”

Blaine moved because Sebastian was the one sitting on a small loveseat that had room for the both of them. “I wish I would have known before our trip to the fake Eiffel Tower. I’m sorry we couldn’t go to the real one.”

“Thanks to Julien.” Ah, the truth, but a discussion for another time. “But, I got to have a date with my Original Blaine and you trusted me with something important to you. Something that is part of who you are. I’m sorry I threw Tommy in your face. It’s just…”

The pause was unnerving “It’s just what, Bas?”

“Remember the night before Thanksgiving?”

“How can I forget? I taught you how to be the big spoon and then pretended to be asleep while you told me _I’m in_.”

“There was another part. I asked you why you went to Eli and not me.”

“And I told you, I knew you would never be a one-time thing and I was still holding on to hope that I could salvage my relationship with Kurt. I even remember pulling out my phone to call you.”

“But you didn’t.” Sebastian began playing with Blaine’s bracelet and flipped it to see _You+Me_. He knew it was on his as well but seeing it around Blaine’s wrist helped center him. “You said that you were inexplicably drawn to Eli by the messages he sent you. B, we both know you’re going to see Tommy at some point while you’re here. What if you’re inexplicably drawn to him again?”

“I won’t be. Not only because I love you but my last memory of him is Rachel’s Brody not my Tommy.”

**Flashback: 8 Months Earlier @ CallBacks**

_“Hey, Finn, Rachel” Brody greeted them as he supposedly just happened to run across the couple. He was going to leave until he noticed they weren’t alone._

_“Brody, hi” Rachel couldn’t help but notice Brody was a little preoccupied but put that up to the awkwardness of Finn being there._

_But since Finn believed Brody and Rachel were just friends he had none of that “Hey, Brody, good to see you again, man. You’ve met Kurt and this is his boyfriend Blaine. He surprised Kurt by coming to visit a week early.”_

_“Nice to meet you, Brody” Blaine said, hoping none of the others noticed the pain in his eyes. Brody told him that he had kind of been seeing Rachel and it hurt to see the two of them together, even though she was clearly there with Finn._

_Brody hurt as well, having Blaine so close but not being able touch him. He looked so upset but there was nothing he could do. “Yeah, you too, you too. So, how's the, uh, visit been going so far?”_

_Of course, Rachel assumed he was talking about Finn. “Amazing. I took him to school to get the full NYADA experience together.”_

_“Cool.” Brody was glad Finn was so tall so he could keep his eyes up to watch Blaine and not have to look down at Rachel. And what was up with Kurt? Couldn’t he tell Blaine was upset? Oh yeah, Rachel. “Well, in that case, I hope you're singing tonight. You haven't really been to NYADA until you've sung at CallBacks.”_

_“This is what I've been trying to tell him” Rachel said as she playfully slapped Finn across the arm. “And I really, really want him to sing Give Your Heart a Break with me.”_

_“But I'm not a student” Finn protested._

_“Well, you're with Rachel, which makes you honorary.” Brody wondered how he got stuck in this asinine conversation when all he wanted to do was check on Blaine._

_“If you won’t sing with me I’ll just have to sing with my favorite duet partner. Blaine, come sing with me. You’ll be at NYADA next year so that should count. Oh, sorry Kurt.”_

_Finn knew Rachel asking Blaine to sing probably pissed Kurt off so he made a different suggestion “Well, why don't you and Brody sing it together? It's a NYADA tradition, right? And you guys are both NYADA students.”_

_“All right, let's do it. I love you. Wish me luck.” Rachel pulled Brody to the stage before he had a chance to decline. “I'm so nervous. It's my Off-Off Broadway debut.”_

_“It's all good” Brody said realizing if he couldn’t talk to Blaine he could at least sing to him. “I got your back.”_

_Meanwhile at the table, Kurt noticed that Blaine didn’t look well “You okay? You seem a little off.”_

_“I'm-I'm great. It was just a… it was a rough flight.” Or it could be the guy that I thought was dead for three years showed up three days ago and spent hours telling me how much he loved and missed me, but now he’s on stage about to sing with Rachel. Or could it be you, my boyfriend, haven’t told me how much you loved or missed me in weeks and when I surprise you so we can talk you drag me here. Well, at least you didn’t have an Alpha Gay moment when Rachel asked me to sing and not you. Why can’t I just say that? he asked himself…He didn’t have an answer. “I had a middle seat because I booked the ticket so last-minute.”_

_“Well, I, for one, am glad you did.” Kurt patted Blaine’s hand but then turned his attention to the stage when the piano began to play._

_(Rachel)The day I first met you_  
_You told me you never fall in love_  
_But now that I get you_  
_I know fear is what it really was_

_Brody set his gaze. He had taken enough performance classes to know how to stare at one person and make it seem like you were playing to the entire crowd. Blaine finally looked up at him as he began to sing and hopefully he would understand that every word was meant for him._

_Now here we are so close yet so far_  
_How did I pass the test?_  
_When will you realize_  
_Baby I'm not like the rest_

 _(Rachel & Brody) Don't wanna break your heart_  
_Wanna give your heart a break_  
_I know your scared it's wrong_  
_Like you might make a mistake_  
_There's just one life to live_  
_And there's no time to wait to waste_  
_So let me give your heart a break_

_Blaine was so caught up in the words that Brody changed, changed back to Tommy. It was Tommy that wanted to give his heart a break. A break from the pain and loneliness that he had had with Kurt for a long time. Much longer than he wanted to admit._

_Then Rachel and Brody stopped singing to the audience and turned to each other, shattering the world Blaine had let himself live in for that brief moment in time. His Tommy truly was dead, the problem was he had come back to life as Rachel’s Brody._

_“I need some air” he said out loud, but Kurt was so engrossed in watching Finn watching Rachel and Brody that he probably didn’t hear him. At the moment he didn’t care, he just had to get away from there. He didn’t know how long he was gone or how far he had walked until he heard Kurt come up behind him._

_“Blaine, how could you wander off like that? You shouldn’t be walking out here alone.”_

_“I’m not a child, Kurt!”_

_“Ok.” Kurt was taken aback by the way Blaine snapped at him. Something was definitely wrong. “But you've been so emotional and weirdly sad. Please stop pretending that there's nothing wrong.”_

_Blaine had been trying to tell him that he was sad. Sad all the time. How he thought seeing Kurt, being able to touch him, hold him, have a conversation with him would make the sadness go away. Now Kurt had finally noticed something was wrong and wanted to listen for a change. Unfortunately, Blaine started in the wrong way. “I was with someone…”_

_“It was Sebastian, wasn't it?”_

**End of Flashback**

“Is it bad that I still get a warm fuzzy feeling when you tell me that Hummel immediately assumed you had been with me?”

Blaine had all sorts of jokes to make after that comment but before he could say anything “Anyone naked in there or can I open the door?”

On the walk back to the banquet room, Sam gave them a quick synopsis of what happened in their absence. Evidently, Adam had been a big help. He got Tina to eat lunch with Mike and Beat without any sort of meltdown whatsoever and he got Nick and Sugar to talk. They had a rocky start but by the time Sam went to go get Blaine and Sebastian they were laughing.

What surprised them the most was a topic Adam brought up himself…the Stress Relief video the Warblers planned to make at CallBacks that night. He reminded them that even though the video would be directed at Throat Explosion, Blaine’s performances always seem to make it to a larger audience. With other performances happening, such as Sebastian and Rachel vs Blaine and Santana, it would eventually be noticed that the two supposedly rival show choirs were together. He suggested, if everyone agreed, to have the New Directions guys participate in the video as well and not try to hide the fact.

Sam told them everyone thought it was a good idea but wanted to wait for their response. They both loved it.

“Well, I’m glad because Beat and David have been teaching me, Finn and Mike our parts.”

“No Hummel?” Sebastian was surprised Kurt would give up a chance to sing with Blaine even if it was as part of a group.

“Seriously? He thought the band’s name was a place to have a picnic.”

“Point taken.”

When they finally got back, Blaine and Sebastian kissed each other to appease the staring crowd and then separated. Blaine insisted that Sebastian check on Adam since he had basically been thrown to the wolves and had actually been very helpful. He was going to have a word with the architect of their imprisonment.

“You thought it was a good idea to have the guys lock me and Bas in an office?”

Santana held her stance and gave him a defiant “Yes, I did. You two were getting on my last nerve.”

“Thank you.” Blaine gave her a hug and without giving her all the details explained how Sebastian knew the guy was flirting but Adam reminded him of his friends in Europe. While it didn’t make a lot of sense because she didn’t get the full story, Santana knew to trust Blaine…and Sebastian.

“I have to admit the smooth talker has been helpful, but there’s something I-I don’t know how to put it.”

“Is this what you couldn’t tell me yesterday at Bibbi’s office?”

She still had no plan to tell him that Rachel thought she was pregnant with Brody’s baby, but hoped this was big enough to cover. “Yes, this could become a huge problem or nothing at all but you have to know. However, I can’t tell you. You’re going to have to figure it out on your own.”

He had no idea what she wanted him to figure out until she pointed to Sam talking with Beat and Mike then over to Nichole, talking to Quinn. It took a couple of head swivels between the two groups, but then… “Sam is the guy Nichole dumped Jeff for? This isn’t a problem, it’s a fucking disaster!” Blaine whisper-yelled so no one but Santana would hear him.

“No, she broke up with Jeff because it wasn’t fair to stay him when she had feelings for another guy…who happens to be Sam. But…”

“They would be really good together” Blaine sighed. “Tana, I’m going to be really selfish here but do you realize the position I would be put in if Jeff finds out? He’s heartbroken and won’t care if Sam had nothing to do with it except being ridiculously good looking and incredibly kind and caring. I’d be put in the middle and while Sam would give me space, Jeff won’t. He could try to force me to choose between the Warblers and my one of my best friends. I can’t do that. Shit!”

“I know but there’s nothing we can do because nothing has actually happened. Unfortunately, this is one case where you’ll have to be reactive and not proactive.”

“I take it Quinn, the future shrink, knows?”

“Yes, Quinn and Mercedes were the first to figure it out but the advice comes from Wes.”

“I still find it strange that you and Wes are getting along.”

“We don’t get along. We tolerate each other better since I saw him naked.” She stopped talking because Blaine was no longer paying attention and was instead watching his boyfriend. “Remember, you trust him. Don’t make me have the guys lock you two back in that office.”

“Oh, I trust Sebastian just not the British Bastard. I think it’s time to send a message.”

“A message? Oh hell, what is that devious mind of yours planning.”

“Changing our song for the Best Girl Challenge.”

“I thought we were doing _I Kissed A Girl_? It’s ok, Blaine. I’m the one that suggested it.” Blaine leaned over and whispered the title of his new idea “Well, that’s a message alright. I love it but you know anything you perform anymore seems to find its way online.”

“I do know but think of it this way. If we do this right we should be able to beat the number of views Rachel and I have for _Don’t You Want_ _Me_. Just wear something sexy and see if you can download a karaoke version just in case CallBacks doesn’t have it.”

“What about you, Blainers? You’re wearing cargo shorts and a Yankees jersey.”

“I’m dressed for the baseball game smart ass, but what I have at Beat’s place won’t work.”

“Beat’s place?”

“His lives the closest to CallBacks so we were all going to change there. Wait…” Blaine looked across the room and saw a possible solution. “Mercedes” he called out and waved for her to join them “I’m glad you could make it. How was rehearsal?”

“Tiring and it was only 3 hours. Now, what do you need pretty boy? I know the others are waiting for you.”

“I need a huge favor.” He pulled out his phone and started to text. “Can you go by the apartment and get the list of things I’m texting you? Then have Simon send them to the address I sent? I'll need them there by 8PM.”

“Will someone be there or do I check in with Theo? It’s Saturday so it’s Theo, right?”

“Right…”

Santana had heard enough to know that the two people next to her had failed to tell her something “Blaine” she said in a tone so calm it scared him. “How come it sounds like Mercedes knows where you live and I don’t?”

Mercedes began to laugh at the _I fucked up look_ on Blaine’s face but he was saved when Sam called out from across the room “Come on, Dude. We’ve got to go!”

“Mercedes…”

“I’ve got her. Tell Stevie happy birthday for me.” Blaine gave each girl a kiss to the cheek before taking off, leaving Mercedes to handle Santana. He was going to owe her big time. “Yes, I know where Blaine’s family’s apartment is and before you ask it’s on the Upper West side overlooking Central Park. Simon is the concierge and Theo is the building’s head doorman. I know all this because Mrs. Anderson let me stay there when I had my last two call backs and I wasn’t telling anyone I was in New York. Did I answer all your questions?”

Santana linked their arms and began to drag her out the door “Oh Diva, I have so many more questions but you can answer them on the way there.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flashback based on a scene from Episode 4x04 (The Break-Up)
> 
> Give Your Heart a Break: Berman, Joshua; Steinberg, William 2011
> 
> Warning for next chapter: A Linkin Park song will be performed. I named Wes’ mentor Chester (he reappears @ CallBacks) after lead singer Chester Bennington who passed away in 2017.


	52. Saturday in New York, Part III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine and the people around him begin to realize they underestimated his “celebrity” at NYADA.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Portions of a performed song will be replaced with dialogue and inner thought of characters

“Blaine, I’m just a friend standing here until the person you’re waiting for shows up. That’s it.”

“Liar” Blaine laughed that Cam actually looked surprised he would call him out. He knew the reason his former body guard had insisted on waiting with him and that was fine. He needed to talk to him anyway. “You can tell Cooper I’m ok. But, uh Cam, can we sit down and talk tomorrow after I have breakfast with Mom and Sugar. I’ve got something to tell you…” Fortunately, the person they were waiting for arrived so he didn’t have to go into detail. This wasn’t a conversation to have in passing. “11AM at the apartment?”

“Ok, 11AM.” Before walking off, Cam stopped in front of Kurt and said “Don’t fuck this up.”

“Don’t fuck this up” Kurt repeated softly. He knew Blaine was taking a giant step forward when he asked to speak to him privately. He also knew Blaine was sending a not so subtle message by having the talk in the exact spot of their epic break-up. “Blaine.”

“ _I was with someone_ …” Blaine waited to see if Kurt would say something. Evidently, he had learned something in 8 months “… _the other_ _day that asked why I was so sad_. Sometimes I wonder how different things would be if you would have let me finish that sentence.”

“Do you think we’d still be together?”

“Hell, no. We weren’t together then, we just hadn’t admitted it yet.” Blaine took a breath and reminded himself that he had asked Kurt for this meeting. “Anyway, I wanted to thank you for telling Sam about what happened with Schuester after Nationals last year. I had forgotten about it.”

“Oh, ok. You’re welcome.”

“Well, I know you’re still friendly with Schuester so you didn’t have to say anything but I’m glad you did.” Blaine knew he’d probably hate himself later but… “You know you can sing in the Stress Relief video. All the New Directions guys were invited and we said we’d include you in all activities.”

“Thank you, but I’m saving my voice for my audition. In fact, I’m surprised you’re singing…”

This time it was Blaine that interrupted Kurt. “Damn it, Kurt. You were doing so well.”

While the exes headed back to CallBacks, Sebastian had a question for Rachel “What the hell is the _Catty Chatty_?”

“It’s a NYADA gossip blog, unofficial of course. It’s for people to practice spreading rumors about the competition. Don’t look at me like that Sebastian Smythe. It’s an important skill for any performer to have. Why are you asking?”

“Doug was getting things ready to post the Stress Relief video when he came across this.”

_**The Catty Chatty: NYADA’s #1 Gossip Blog  Come on Darling’s…Keep us guessing** _   
_**(9:08PM) @anoncc: #CallBacks taking reservations? Guess they will for FUTURE events** _

“Ok, see that @anoncc? Everything to this site posts as anon and you cannot use people’s names. That’s part of the process. I’m not saying there aren’t message boards out there that flat out say Blaine is here but they are far less popular. If we want to keep an eye on something it should be this one since we know what’s being hinted at. I’m sorry Bastian, I should have thought of this sooner.”

“We’re all new to this, Ray. Come with me and explain this to Cam but remember he doesn’t speak Diva.”

“Oh, I have to translate myself for Dr. Shepard all the time.” Rachel quietly watched as Blaine and Kurt walked in together, but since Sebastian wasn’t freaking out neither would she. “Bastian, is Blaine going to forgive Dr. Shepard?”

“I hope so. Come on, let’s find Cam.”

Sugar was with Cam when Sebastian and Rachel brought the blog to Cam’s attention. She volunteered, and quickly drafted Tina, Amanda and Nari, to keep an eye on it throughout the evening. So, while she worked with Ralphie to get her a tablet before Stress Release went on, Sebastian told Blaine what he found out.

“Adam tried to warn me that you had a few fangirls at the NYADA.”

Blaine looked around the room and saw a couple of phones subtly (ha) focused on him. “Well, let’s find out for sure” he said before pulling Sebastian down into a steamy (to put it mildly) kiss. Hopefully, any fangirls and a certain Karaoke manager would get the message. When they pulled apart, Blaine checked out the room for reactions other than catcalls from Santana. “Between that kiss and my conversation with Kurt, Doc would totally call me out for being a passive-aggressive asshole.”

“Ray did say that she had a Skype appointment with him on Thursday that she could share or flat-out just give you…Sugar!” Sebastian couldn’t believe his boyfriend’s supposedly _Sweet Baby Cousin_ had come up behind Blaine and just smacked him in the back of the head.

“Ralphie will be here in 5 minutes a tablet. You couldn’t wait 5 minutes, Blainey?” Sugar asked before handing him her phone.

_**The Catty Chatty: NYADA’s #1 Gossip Blog  Come on Darling’s…Keep us guessing** _   
_**(9:25PM) @anoncc: DAMMMMNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!*photo attached** _

“Oh my God, B. Our photo has 79…82…88…the comments won’t stop.” Sebastian watched the number grow and it brought up an issue he and Blaine disagreed on. For some reason Blaine has not talked with Cam about Tommy and wouldn’t tell Sebastian why. As of now, the only person going to NYADA with Blaine on Monday was Sam and that had taken a lot of negotiation. Everyone that knew about Tommy guessed that would be when he would make contact with Blaine, but they were respecting Blaine’s wishes. Maybe he should call Cooper? No, that would piss Blaine off and he would say no to Cam out of spite.

He was brought out of his thoughts when Nari came over and handed Sugar one of the 4 tablets Ralphie somehow managed to get. “If only these New York people knew about the Seblaine fanfiction.”

“Wait? That stuff is really online?” Blaine asked in a panic.

“Not yet” was all Nari insinuated before taking Sugar back to their table, leaving the boyfriends shell-shocked.

“B, she was joking, right?”

“I don’t know. Nari does go to Crawford but the one I’m worried about at that table is Tina. Yup, very very worried.”

Sam joined them, only catching the tail end of what Blaine had said. “What are you worried about?”

“Tina finding out about Crawford Day writing Seblaine fanfiction.”

The sound of Sam’s laughter was so loud that it was almost redundant for him to tell them his opinion. “Dudes, you are so screwed.” He calmed down enough to take a quick peek over at an obviously frustrated Finn. “Ok, so Nichole said Kurt isn’t happy about all that gossip attention Blaine is getting. Finn’s talking to him but you know he's going to think the Stress Relief song is about him. It’s a giant FU song.”

“Uh, I don’t see it that way. It’s just a song Drum and I would do as a duet when I first got to Dalton.” Sebastian could tell something was up but didn’t say anything when Blaine gave him a _Don’t say anything/Just listen_ glare. “Um, Sam did you say Nichole told you about Kurt?”

“Yeah, we talked while Santana, Rachel, Mercedes and Quinn hatched whatever diabolical plan they’re going to unload on Kurt while we’re on stage.”

“Oh, it just seems like you’ve talked to Nichole a lot since you got to New York. I mean you did invite her to Stacie’s birthday.” Sebastian really did not like the way Blaine was directing the conversation but he stuck to _Don’t say anything/Just listen_.

“Yeah, she and I have talked a lot the last couple of days. She’s really broken up about what happened with Jeff but I told her that she did the right thing and I should know after, you know, Finn and Quinn AND Santana and Brittany. And Dude, I could say the same about you. You stayed with Kurt when it was clear that you had feelings for Seb and look what a giant cluster-fuck that turned into. Hey, it looks like the guys are ready.”

“Give us a minute” Blaine told Sam, then he waited to see if he got the reaction he expected from Sebastian once they were alone.

He did.

“No, no, no, no, no, no…”

“You can stop saying no, the answer is yes.”

“Nichole dumped Jeff for Sam?”

“No, Nichole broke up with Jeff because it wasn’t fair to be with him when she has feelings for another guy…who happens to be Sam.” It sounded like that was going to be answer given to anyone discovering the Jeff/Nichole/Sam situation. “And as you could tell, Sam’s completely clueless.”

“B, if Jeff finds out…”

“Let’s just not go there and go have some fun instead. But first I need to talk to Santana.”

“B…”

“No, this has to come from me.”

Blaine somehow got Santana’s attention through what she calls his telepathic connection to her psychic Mexican-third eye. Yeah, he couldn’t explain it either. “Whatever you girls have planned…don’t do it. But tell Kurt that if he even rolls his eyes once while the guys and I are on stage, Vincent will have his ass out of here in 30 seconds. He has a lot to lose if video of that shows up on any of the NYADA sites.”

“What are you talking about?”

“For some reason he and Rachel are downplaying it, but Kurt being asked to audition at NYADA is a thing. It’s called the Dirty Dozen, 12 finalists that were either finalists last year but didn’t get in, cut but allowed to reapply or have some sort of special circumstance…like me. After the 12 perform, Carmen Tibideaux announces the results. No waiting around. Either you’re in or you’re out, and if you’re out you can never reapply. However, the person she determines to the “the winner” receives a full-ride scholarship.”

“Holy Shit!”

“Yeah, holy shit. Just remind him this is not the time for an Alpha Gay moment.” Blaine gave her a quick kiss. “When I’m done, let’s do a run through for our number. Love you, Tana.”

“Love you too, Blainers.” Santana smiled until he was gone...then Auntie Snixx came out to play. She was going to give Kurt Blaine’s message alright but her real mission was to find out why Rachel hadn’t shared that piece of information about Kurt’s audition. Maybe her roomie wasn’t as Team Seblaine as she wanted them to think. Unfortunately, Adam stepped up to the mic sooner than she expected.

“Good evening everyone and welcome to CallBacks. We are eternally grateful for your patients as we honor a request first brought to my attention by the winner of this year’s NYADA Winter Showcase the marvelous, Miss Rachel Berry.” Rachel smiled and waved, basking in the applause but keenly aware of the snarl Santana had focused on her.

“While none of this rather large group of gentlemen attend NYADA, I can assure you that they are all quite talented. So, you can understand when they asked if we would allow them to film a video…”

Sugar and the other girls could hear Adam talking but their focus went to the tables as they watched the Catty Chatty blog explode.

_**The Catty Chatty: NYADA’s #1 Gossip Blog Come on Darling’s…Keep us guessing** _   
_**(9:58PM) @anoncc: Calgone take me away @ #CallBacks** _  
_**(9:58PM) @anoncc: It’s raining men (boys?) @ #CallBacks** _  
_**(10:00PM) @anoncc: Breaking the rules. Blaine Anderson and 15 of his hot as fuck friends are on the stage @#CallBacks filming a Stress Relief Video. Jealous much?** _  
_**(10:01 PM) @anoncc: NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Stuck in airport. Vid Plz!** _  
_**(10:01 PM) @anoncc: @ #CallBacks That Guy=Total Package** _  
_**(10:01 PM) @anoncc: @ #Callbacks No vid yet *photo attached** _

“This is nuts!” Amanda said looking down at the tablet Nari was holding. She thought she was just coming to some college bar with Tina, Sugar, Sam and the others before going to Rhode Island in the morning. She had been totally unprepared for the crazy.

Nari couldn’t have agreed more. “Welcome to our world.” She was about to go back to the tablet but instead smiled as she watched Trent stepped forward to introduce the video like he had done last time. She was proud of him. Trent had become strong and confident while maintaining his sweet and gentle nature. Now the world was going to know the amazing person she had known and loved for years. Even if he only ever saw her as Wes Montgomery’s little sister.

“Good Evening from CallBacks in New York City. We are bringing you this video to answer some questions that have been brought up about ties between the Dalton Academy Warblers and defending National Champions New Directions. We’re all friends. Get over it. That doesn’t mean we don’t plan on kicking each other’s asses at Nationals.”

“But before all that happens, ladies and gentlemen, for one night only, the Dalton Academy Warblers and the McKinley High New Directions present the band…Stress Release.”

Blaine played a piano interlude and sang the opening line… _It starts with one_

Then everyone else on stage turned into a Beat boxing rock band followed by…  
_(Beat: Rap) One thing I don't know why_  
_It doesn't even matter how hard you try_

Mercedes leaned over to Quinn and asked “Why does it look like Santana wants to gouge out Rachel’s eyes?”

“I don’t know but we really do need to keep an eye on Kurt. Do you know this song?”

“Not well. Why?”

“It’s one of Puck’s favorites. Let’s just say the words could be taken as The Klaine Break-Up song.”

“Crap!”

_(Blaine: sing) It's so unreal_  
_(Beat: Rap)It’s so unreal, didn't look out below_  
_Watch the time go right out the window_  
_Trying to hold on, did-didn't even know_  
_I wasted it all just to watch you go_

_I kept everything inside and even though I tried, it all fell apart_  
_What it meant to me will eventually be a memory of a time when I tried so hard_

_(Blaine: sing)I tried so hard_  
_And got so far_  
_But in the end_  
_It doesn't even matter_

_I had to fall_  
_To lose it all_  
_But in the end_  
_It doesn't even matter_

_(Blaine: Rap) One thing, I don't know why_  
_It doesn't even matter how hard you try_

“I thought we all agreed that Blaine wouldn’t rap anymore” Santana joked but got an instant Shh from Quinn who then mouthed _Listen_ _carefully to the words_ and pointed at Kurt.

_In spite of the way you were mocking me_  
_Acting like I was part of your property_  
_Remembering all the times you fought with me_  
_I'm surprised it got so far_

_Things aren't the way they were before_  
_You wouldn't even recognize me anymore_  
_Not that you knew me back then_  
_But it all comes back to me in the end_

Cam, Daniel and Vincent made their way over to Kurt and the girls considering Blaine had basically just told Kurt what a shitty boyfriend he had been. They could tell tempers were about to flair when something happened that froze everyone.

Beat sang.

And it wasn’t that he sang…he sang in a clear, beautiful voice. A voice that would lead 90% of the show choirs that sang at Nationals. It was astonishing. Even Kurt was mesmerized.

_(Beat: Sing) I tried so hard_  
_And got so far_  
_But in the end_  
_It doesn't even matter_

_I had to fall_  
_To lose it all_  
_But in the end_  
_It doesn't even matter_

_I've put my trust in you_  
_Pushed as far as I can go_  
_For all this_  
_There's only one thing you should know_

_(Blaine & Beat: Sing) I've put my trust in you_  
_Pushed as far as I can go_  
_For all this_  
_There's only one thing you should know_

When Blaine joined Beat on vocals, he stood, kicking the piano stool away. By now all those on the stage were truly into their "rock star" performances…lots of air drums and guitars, raised fits and head banging. The entire audience was on its feet as well. This type of performance was not something usually done at CallBacks, even on Karaoke Night, although technically it was a piano number.

In the chaos, it took a couple of minutes to notice Sugar had gone missing. When Tina finally found her, she was wrapped in the arms of a man standing by the door and both of them were crying. Tina didn’t like the way it looked so she decided to go get Cam. He took one look at the man and went running over and pulled Sugar away. However, instead of punching the guy, Cam embraced him and they both began doing that cry/laugh thing that Sugar was doing.

“Does anyone know that guy?” Tina asked.

“That’s my ex, Brody” Rachel told her while looking to Kurt for some sort of answer she knew he wouldn’t have.

Santana tried to remain calm knowing in about 30 seconds all hell could break out and it would all be on video. She thought she might have enough time to at least warn Blaine but she took one look at him and knew it was too late.

_I had to fall_  
_To lose it all_  
_But in the end_  
_It doesn't even matter_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the End: Bennington, Chester; Bourdon, Rob; Delson, Brad; Hahn, Joe; Shinoda, Mike 2001


	53. Santana to the Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine gave Santana the opportunity for a future in New York. It’s her turn to pay him back by protecting his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First part of chapter (until the end of the song) told completely through Santana’s POV.
> 
> Reminder: The character of Chester makes a reappearance. He is to Wes as Wes is to Blaine.
> 
> For Blaine there is a definite distinction between Tommy & Brody. Everyone else, not so much. Both names will used but they are the same person.

_Santana tried to remain calm knowing in about 30 seconds all hell could break out and it would all be on video. She thought she might have enough time to at least warn Blaine but she took one look at him and knew it was too late._

Deep breath, Lopez. You can do this…for Blaine.

First up Daniel and Vincent. “Vincent, that guy over there having the bonding moment with Sugar and Cam is the same guy that ended his relationship with Rachel with Finn’s fist to his face. This is a big fucking problem. Finn needs a reminder that he’s working for Cooper.” Vincent left and headed toward the stage. Good…next. “Daniel, we need to separate everyone along school lines and get them to leave as calmly as possible. I’m going to get you 5 minutes, use them wisely. You also need to get Ralphie to shut that video down the second they stop singing.” Daniel headed over to Ralphie who had been filming the Stress Relief video…good.

Next…Quinn, Mercedes, Nichole

“Quinn, you’re on Rachel. Mercedes…Kurt. Keep them calm. Remind them they’re on video and will have hell to pay if they make a scene. Nichole, get Tina back to the table with Amanda and Nari. They’re going to know something is up. And I’m going to get you help for Tina.”

No questions. I knew I could trust my girls. Shit, out of time…Not good.

Next…Vincent has Finn…good.

Next…Sam and Beat. “Brody is here. Get the guys off stage calmly and split them up. And sorry Beat but your boy-toy needs to handle his ex.” Yeah, we’ve got this. Blaine’s 3 Besties...good.

Next…the wild card. Fuck, I don’t want to do this. “Ok Dr. Who, listen up. There’s some serious shit going on and if we don’t handle carefully it could get all Westside Story up in here. Take my phone and cue up the song. Blaine and I are going to sing then Sebastian needs an exit strategy that’s not the front door.”

“There’s a delivery entrance around back. I can get him out through there. Would it be safe to assume this must occur both quickly and quietly?”

“Very.” Why isn’t he moving? Fucking asshole…ok, the asshole is moving…good.

Next…Shit! Why does Blaine have to have those fucking wounded puppy dog eyes? I need Wolverine! “Blainers, I know this _suuucks_ but you have to stay with me here. The guys will take care of Sebastian but we have to give them time. I’m going to introduce our song. I just wish we could have gotten you into your sexy outfit.” Why is he taking off his sweater? Oh, the tight-ass shirt from the Sugar Shack. When did his arms get so fucking ripped? Later…microphone.

“Yeah, yeah, that was amazing but get your fine asses off the stage. It’s my turn. So, my name is Santana Lopez and I am your _Teenage_ _Dream_ Blaine Anderson’s bestie. Before you get jealous much, I am also _Prime Diva Bitch_ Rachel Berry’s roommate. I know, I know, heaven and hell. Anyway, when Frodo…the male one, asked what I wanted for my birthday I told him I wanted to make a video that would crush the one he did the schnoz. So, get out your phones fangirls and boys. You’re going to love this.”

Damn it Anderson! Stop looking over at Tommy…Brody…Fuck! “Blaine, I know this was meant for Mr. Tea and Crumpets but we need to focus on your adoring public. All eyes off our people, got it? Time to turn on the magic. Are you with me?”

“Thanks, Tana. Let’s do this.”

 _(Santana) Check it out_  
_Going out on the late night_  
_Looking tight, feeling nice_  
_It's a cock fight_  
_I can tell, I just know that it's going down_  
_Tonight_

Damn, does that boy have a switch!

 _(Blaine) At the door we don't wait ‘cause we know them_  
_At the bar six shots just beginning_  
_That's when dickhead put his hands on me_  
_But you see_

Ok, “dickhead” may not have his hands on Blaine…but if that bleached-out, over-primped bitch doesn’t let go of his arm, Sebastian will be more than happy to remind her that she isn’t Blaine’s type. But shit, it looks like Tommy…Brody…fuck (his new name?) would do the same. Shit!

 _(Santana & Blaine) I'm not here for your entertainment_  
_You don't really want to mess with me tonight_  
_Just stop and take a second_  
_I was fine before you walked into my life_

Got to give it to Hudson. He’s holding it together and keeping Hummel and Berry in check. Wait did that red-head just grab Blaine’s ass? For the love of god bitches, HE’S GAY! Huh? Maybe it’s time Blaine made a statement after all. Time to activate our psychic connection.

 _'Cause you know it's over_  
_Before it began_  
_Keep your drink just give me the money_  
_It's just you and your hand tonight_

Good…Psychic message received. Damn Blaine, work your boyfriend. Holy fuck! Did he just palm Seb in front of all his Warbler buddies? What am I freaking about? Probably nothing they haven’t seen before.

 _(B) Midnight, I'm drunk, I don't give a fuck_  
_Wanna dance by myself_  
_Guess you're outta luck_  
_Don't touch, back up_  
_I'm not the one_  
_Buh bye_

Ok psychic twin, you’ve made your point. Get back over here so we can finish up.

 _(S) Listen up it's just not happening_  
_You can say what you want to your boyfriends_  
_Just let me have my fun tonight_  
_Alright_

 _(S & B) I'm not here for your entertainment_  
_You don't really want to mess with me tonight_  
_Just stop and take a second_  
_I was fine before you walked into my life_  
_'Cause you know it's over_  
_Before it began_  
_Keep your drink just give me the money_  
_It's just you and your hand tonight_

While Blaine and Santana continued to sing, news trickled down the Dalton/McKinley contingent that they would be leaving once the song was finished. Anyone that began to protest (Kurt, Rachel, Tina) was shut down immediately. The hard part was cheering along, pretending like nothing was going on especially when the majority of those there didn’t have a clue of what was happening around them.

The duo made it back to the stage and Adam made it through the crowd to Sebastian “I’ve been tasked in assisting you with a quiet exit through the back.”

Sebastian pointed at Daniel “You better tell him and I’m not going anywhere until I talk with B.”

Adam reached down and grabbed Sebastian’s hand, giving it a quick squeeze, but then instantly letting go. “Of course. And Sebastian, I may not understand whatever this situation is but I will respect it. Just know if you ever require a neutral moderator to speak with, I’m available. I’ll even come to you, if I can get proper directions, naturally.”

Without taking his eyes off Blaine, Sebastian found Adam’s hand and returned his gesture. “I’ll send the car service and my shadow’s name is Daniel. And Adam, thank you.” Adam left with both he and Sebastian unaware that their tête-à-tête had been closely watched by several people close to Seblaine and none of them were happy about it. However, Sebastian’s focus remained on Blaine.

 _'Cause you know it's over_  
_Before it began_  
_Keep your drink just give me the money_  
_It's just you and your hand tonight_

Finished, it was Blaine that pulled Santana into a hug “Your birthday is in September.”

“I know, but it helped the story.”

Blaine pulled her in even tighter “Tana, I can’t thank you…”

“Then don’t. Cam is here to get you. Do not leave before talking to Seb but I’ve got him taken care of. Listen to this part very carefully, in one hour you have to call me and tell me exactly what we can and can’t tell those that don’t know about Tommy. I’ll tell Beat and Sammy. Blaine, we can’t hold them off forever. Now, say something cute to the fangirls and get the hell out of here.”

“What about you?”

Santana looked across the room and saw Wes headed toward Brody (Yeah, that was the name she was going with for the rest of the night). “I have to grab my phone, handle a couple of last minute things then I’m out of here. Fangirls…Now!”

“Yes, Ma’am” Blaine turned to the crowd but focused on Sebastian as much as possible “I want to thank everyone so much for your patience with our mini-takeover of CallBacks. I would also like to thank the owner and management of CallBacks, especially Adam Crawford (hopefully that sounded sincere) for all their help in getting the Stress Relief video done. So, my friends and I are going to get out of your hair…”

A series of boos came from the patrons. Sebastian gave him a wink so he gave his patented bashful school-boy look. The increased cheering proved he knew what he was doing. It also made sure that all eyes were on him as Sam, Vincent, Finn and Mike herded the McKinley contingent (minus Sugar and Santana) past Brody and out the door. He was actually kind of impressed with Finn.

“Thank you, and we’d love to stay, but several of us are leaving tomorrow so it’s best we say goodnight. Thank you.” Blaine put the microphone down and walked over to “Cam, I…”

“Don’t Blaine. Just don’t. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. Let’s go say goodbye to Sebastian and then only you, me, Tommy and Sugar are headed back to the apartment. There’s a car waiting.”

“Cam, this was what I…”

“I don’t care. Let’s go.”

Blaine knew he had handled telling Cam about Tommy wrong, but he wouldn’t be able to find out the total damage until they were at the apartment. When he reached Sebastian, he melted into his arms “I’m so sorry, Bas.”

“B, there’s nothing to be sorry for. None of us thought he would show up here. We were all so sure it would be Monday at NYADA. Are you ok? That’s probably a stupid question. What about Cam? I’ve never seen him so…so…I don’t know. He obviously knows Tommy. What haven’t you told me?”

“Tommy is Cam’s brother.”

Meanwhile across the room, Wes had made his way to Brody with David and Chester. They had both tried to talk him out of doing this. “I know who you are. Stay the hell away from, Blaine.”

Brody shook his head and gave the immediate impression that Wes and the others didn’t intimidate him at all. “Well, I don’t give a flying fuck who you are and the chances of me staying away from Blaine from this point forward are non-existent.”

“We’ll see about that and for your information my name is Wes Montgomery. I’m one of the two people who put Blaine back together when he came to Dalton. That guy that just strutted around the room, I did that. I helped him get his confidence back, his trust back, his essence back.”

“Oh, I get it. You’re Blaine’s big bad protector. Probably took over the big brother role with Cooper being an ass wipe and all.”

“Cooper’s better now but yes, and I will do whatever it takes to protect him.”

Brody chuckled, more like sneered, and walked closer to Wes as not to be overheard “Well Wes Montgomery, I am grateful that Blaine had someone in his life like you _after_ the attack.” Then things got serious “But you see, I’m the one that _during_ the attack somehow freed myself from 2 people that were beating the shit out of me to throw myself over him when he fell unconscious to the ground. Don’t ever, ever play the _I’m Blaine’s protector_ card with me, buddy. You will lose.”

For the first time that he could remember, Wes was so taken aback that he couldn’t respond. Then, from out of nowhere, the last person he expected stepped in for him “Don’t you fucking dare speak to my brother like that!” Nari spat out at Brody and she didn’t care who heard her. “I don’t know who the fuck you think you are but Blaine is our fucking family, asshole.”

“I guess Wesley isn’t the only Montgomery whose impressive vocabulary takes a hike when they’re pissed” Santana said as she finally made it over. “David come get the pit bull puppy and take her to Nichole. She and I will take Nari back to the loft with us. The Warblers are all going back to Beat’s until we hear from Blaine.”

“Um, excuse the hell out of me” Nari may have only been the size of Sugar but she freed herself pretty easily from David. “I’m 100% Team Warbler and I’m going with my brother whether he likes it or not!”

Surprising, Santana told herself. Nari’s favorite thing to say to Wes was usually _Fuck Off_ but apparently when push comes to shove family is family.

There was another sibling conversation going on as well. “Nikki, are you going back to the loft with Santana?”

Nichole was in a bit of shock considering those were the first words her brother had spoken to her since he found out she broke up with Jeff. “I am. I thought about going back to the apartment, but if I’m going to stay here in the city and be friends with Santana, Mercedes and possibly Rachel I should probably get at least a rudimentary idea of what’s going on.”

“That sounds like a good idea” Nick told her but then added “Plus, Sam’s there.”

“Um, what…what would Sam have to do with anything?” She tried to sound unfazed but failed miserably.

Nick took his sister’s hand and did a quick scan of the area to make sure they were alone “Nichole Duval, I have known and loved you every minute of my life. You don’t think I can’t read you like a book? You dumped Jeff because you have feelings for Sam. It wasn’t that hard for me to figure out when I saw the two of you talking earlier. Was I pissed at first? Yeah, Jeff is my best friend and he’s really hurting. But after a long talk with Trent he made me see that you did not only the best thing for you but the best thing for Jeff.”

“How did Trent do that?”

“Reminded me that Blaine could never hide his attraction to Seb but stayed with Kurt because he thought it was the right thing to do. You weren’t there to see that train wreck but trust me, it was excruciating to watch. You did the right thing and I’ll help Jeff see that someday. Now, about Sam…”

“Nick, I’m attracted…ok, out of my mind about the guy but I’m not going to pursue anything while he’s still in high school in Ohio. I think I learned my lesson.”

“But if things happen organically?”

“Yes, if things happen organically I would consider it. That is if I survive Monday. Mom and Dad are coming to discuss my dropping out of Harvard.”

“I’ll say nice things about you in your eulogy.”

As Santana rejoined Nichole, Nick headed back to leave with the others. “Everything ok?”

“Getting there” Nichole told her and for the first time in a while meant it. “Are we the only ones left?”

“Looks like it. We’ve got a car outside but I have to make a call.”

“Do you want me to wait here or in the car?”

Nichole asking that question was all Santana needed to hear. Nichole was fully in and could be trusted. “Neither, I’ll make the call on the ride back to the loft. You’re going to find out this shit anyway. Too bad you dropped out. That creative writing professor of yours would have loved this, well what you could actually put on paper.”

“About that…”

An hour later, Santana and Nichole arrived at the loft to find things relatively under control. Vincent, Mercedes and Amanda were all missing, Mike was refereeing an argument between Quinn and Tina but Kurt and Rachel were just sitting on the couch pouting while being glared at Sam and Finn. So yes, under control but also a little weird.

Santana pulled Sam aside and asked “What did I miss?”

“Before I answer, do you know how Blaine’s doing?”

“Not really. He texted me about what we could say but nothing else. Now get me up to speed and we’ll work out a plan.”

“Vincent left but said he would be back and to not let anyone leave. Mercedes has Amanda back in her room and is telling her some basic background info. Amanda offered to just go back to the hotel, but she’s close to Tina and hopefully will keep her in check.”

“That shouldn't be an issue but what’s going on with the Drama Queen and Quinn?”

“Tina wouldn’t stop asking questions so Quinn distracted her by saying Brown wasn’t really an Ivy League school. Mike egged the argument on by bringing up Columbia. Nothing big, but it turned Tina’s focus away from Blaine.”

“Way to take one for the team Fabray and Twinkle Toes. What about Berry and Hummel?”

“Kurt was totally in Alpha Gay mode so we took away his phone. He’s pouting.”

“Took away his phone?”

“He was following that NYADA site and he found Blaine’s YouTube channel with the videos. Congrats by the way, you are well on your way to smashing Rachel’s numbers especially if you count you have multiple postings but just that one video of _Don’t You Want Me_ got out.”

“I thought the YouTube channel wasn’t going up until Friday.”

“Doug got it up and put the Stress Relief video there. It’s going crazy especially considering there was no publicity.”

Santana paused their conversation. Even with all the chaos, she had not forgotten what Blaine said about Rachel and the Dirty Dozen.

“What’s going on with Berry?”

“Ok, why do I feel like we’re back in Glee Club? Spill, Lopez.”

“Before all hell broke loose, Blaine told me something about her that is not sitting right with me. I’m not saying what but it has to do with the NYADA audition. Just keep your ears open, Trouty. You’re going to have to trust me on this.”

“After how you handled all the crap that happened at CallBacks…Santana, you’re my hero. I’d follow you into any battle. We have to get you a superhero identity. Something like Miss Manipulator…able to get 20 guys to do her bidding even though they all know there’s not a chance in hell she’ll sleep with them.”

“You’re ridiculous but…”

She was cut-off when Sam’s phone buzzed. He was hoping it was Blaine but it wasn’t his ringtone. However, the caller was surprising enough that he didn’t let it go to voicemail “Artie? It’s not that I’m unhappy to hear from you…Unique called you?...That makes no sense…So, when you send the link can you send it to Santana too?...No, I’ll take care of it...Great…Yeah, I’m having a lot of fun but I really have to go. I’ll see you Monday at Blaine’s for dinner?...Great. Bye, Artie.”

Seconds after he ended the call both his and Santana’s phones pinged. “Unique called Artie and told him to check out this blog. You may be right about Rachel. While she had us focused on that one site, this one has been blowing up for hours and they don’t give a shit about being anonymous.”

“Fuck, go get this up on the computer and sync it with the TV so we all can see this at once.”

“Um, how am I supposed to do that?”  
Santana hated to do this…ok, not really. In fact, it made her feel all happy inside. Hey, it could happen. “Ask Nichole, she’s the one that taught us how to use the system. While you two do that I’ll have what Mercy calls a Come to Jesus meeting with our little gathering.” Sam went to get Nichole and she went over Blaine’s list one last time.

1. _Yes to Tommy being other victim_  
2\. _I would prefer that Tina and Amanda not find out Tommy is Brody_  
3. _No one needs to know that Tommy is Eli (I told Drum it’s ok to tell Mike so if you have to…tell Mike)._  
4. _Kurt, Rachel, Finn will question why I didn’t say anything when I saw Brody at CallBacks the first time. That’s none of their fucking business. Neither is why I gave Finn lessons to punch Brody when you found out about what he was doing for money._  
5. _This is important: Tommy changed his name for a reason and it can NEVER come out. Never, Tana._  
6\. _Remind them (subtly…at least try) to keep their opinions about Brody’s former employment to themselves, especially around Sam._  
7 _._ _The ND have been able to keep quiet about my identity as the hate crime victim but they like me (mostly). Schuester is another story. If he finds out about Tommy I don’t trust that he’ll keep his fucking mouth shut after what Brody did to Rachel. Warn them that if Schuester finds out I will know it was one of them. There will be consequences and they won’t just come from me. Use Karofsky just not the Fight Club part. Fight Club has to remain secret._  
8. _I’ll trust your judgement if you kick Kurt out. Vincent knows what to do._  
9. _Tell Rachel to leave Bas_ alone  
10. _Have Quinn call Wes when you’re done. He may not answer but the effort will be appreciated. It probably wouldn’t hurt if Mercedes called David too. Before you say anything, Mike is staying with Beat so it’s not an issue._

_PS: I know you called Cooper and I understand why. You made the right decision._

“Everyone in the living area. Turn your phones off and put them on the coffee table. We’re on total radio silence until we’ve all come to an understanding.” It was easier than expected for everyone to give up their phone but that’s probably because they were more interested in finding out what was going on. “Ok, I’m just going to put this out there…”

“Santana, thank you but it’s probably better if you let me tell what happened.” Santana, Sam and Mike looked at Rachel like she had lost her mind. It got worse when Finn walked over and put his hand on her shoulder while Kurt took her hand in support.

Everyone else decided this wasn’t the time for questions.

Sam left what he was doing to join Santana “Rachel, what are you talking about?”

“How it was my fault we had to leave early. I saw Cam keeping Brody away from me and Finn. With all the videos being taken it would have been a disaster for him to approach me. Oh, Quinn and Mercedes, I want to do something special for Wes, David and their friend Chester for going and making sure everything was under control so we could leave. It was very gentlemanly of them, but that is what we expect from our Dalton boys. Do you think they’d like muffin baskets?”

“I’m sure they would appreciate the gesture” Mercedes said with a smile. She and Quinn knew enough to know that wasn’t what Santana was going to tell them. What happened was about Blaine, it had to be. She knew she’s get the real story sooner than later. If she had to guess, things were much better thanks to Rachel’s unyielding belief that everything had to be about her.

“I’ve got it” Nichole smiled and nodded to the TV where the website Artie had alerted them to was on screen and easy for all to read.

**The Front Cut: NYADA’s True Gossip Blog We don’t have to stab you in the back. We’ll say it to your face**  
**(9:03PM)@danz4life12: I thought Blaine Anderson chose Julliard? Why is he at #CallBacks? Well he’s gone now.**  
**_(9:04PM)@sopranohigh: Saw him step out but I think his boyfriend is talking with Berry. *photo attached_ **  
**_(9:06PM)@hellocello1993: Pretty sure boyfriend. Sang in Creep video *video attached. Did he apply to NYADA? Heard rumor Blaine’s boyfriend is a Dirty Dozen._ **  
**_(9:16PM)@danz4life12: Blaine’s back but whose this guy. Anyone? *photo attached_ **  
**_(9:20PM)@nyada14532: Holy Shit! In October I saw Blaine @#CallBacks with guy2. Berry and Weston were onstage and Blaine ran out. Guy 2 didn’t seem to notice. Later saw them in park having huge fight. I think he’s the Dirty Dozen but ex. Stuck in airport in Minnesota. Updates PLEASE!_ **  
**_(9:25PM)@sopranohigh: Here’s your update @nyada14532 *video attached Guess we know guy1 is boyfriend. That kiss is hot!_ **  
**_(9:28PM)@balletslipperboy: Why does all the good shit happen at #CallBacks when I’m not there?  
(9:30PM)@xw_ ** **_arbler2: Guy2 is Kurt, the ex and NYADA reject from last year. Guy1 is Sebastian. Yes, boyfriend but going to Columbia._ **

“Stop scrolling!” Sam yelled to Nichole.

Kurt let out a huff. He had sat quietly through this travesty but no more “Why Sam? So you can all sit and point at my humiliation.”

“Shut up, Kurt this isn’t about you. Ok, maybe it is.” Sam went to the TV and pointed at the last entry they had come to. “See this name, @xwarbler2?”

“Beat told me there were no ex-Warblers” Mike said as he tried to figure out where Sam was going with this. “It’s the whole _Once a_ _Warbler, always a Warbler_ thing.”

Sam didn’t look at Mike, but directly at Kurt. “There are actually 2 ex-Warblers. The first one is here in this room but I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t post something about his NYADA rejection.”

“Then who is…” Tina tried not to sound giddy at the fact that she finally knew something they were talking about. “It’s that guy Hunter, right? The guy that stole the Nationals trophy? I thought he was in jail.”

“He was 2 weeks ago.” Sam kept focused on Kurt, making it clear he was aware Hunter gave testimony about Kurt’s role in the Dalton scandal. “But, I don’t think he’s trolling NYADA blogs from the discomfort of his cell.”

Santana jumped into action and started tossing the guys their phones. “Mikey, text your boy that link and tell him what to look for. And have him tell Ralphie since he’s supposedly the IT guy. Finn…”

“I’m calling Cooper” he said as he was already headed to a quieter spot in the loft.

“Sammy…”

“I’ve got Daniel. We can show Vincent when he gets back.” Rachel reached for her phone but Santana snatched it away “Who the hell do you think you’re going to call? Didn’t I just explain that no one talks?”

“I’m just calling Bastian. Hunter was his roommate. He has the right to know.”

“That’s why Sam is talking to Daniel, you selfish bitch. Daniel can tell Sebastian.”

Quinn and Mercedes got up and went to Santana just in case. They had seen that _All Lima Heights on your ass_ look she had in her eyes before. “What makes you think you have the right to tell him this?”

“He’s my best friend!” Rachel yelled at her.

“Are you sure about that?” Santana didn’t believe this was the time to bring up her suspicions about Rachel but Blaine had specifically told her to keep her away from Sebastian.

Sam, Mike and Finn came running back to the area, but Kurt broke the silence when he blurted out “Oh my god, I get it. I finally get it.”

“What the hell are you talking about Hummel?” Santana barked at him while now firmly in Sam’s grasp.

“You, Santana. I’m talking about you.” Kurt was so fixated on her that everyone else focused on him. “All of you yelled at me, berated me, told me what a horrible person I was for going to New York and forgetting Blaine. How I drove him to depression, but I didn’t see it. I didn’t understand how no one understood how hard I was working to make it at Vogue and didn’t have time for Glee Clubs and student council elections anymore. New York was my dream and Blaine was supposed to deal with it.”

Kurt continued to walk to Santana, bumping aside Mercedes who tried to gently stop his progress. “But now I see how wrong that was and I’m going to do everything in my power to make it up to Blaine.” He stopped right in front of her, but Sam still held her tightly in his arms. He considered letting her go but didn’t want to be charged as an accessory. “For you see Santana, I realize how horrible what I did to Blaine was because you’re doing the same to Brittany right now. What a fucking hypocrite.”

“So much for trying to reconnect with your friends this week. Kurt, what were you thinking?"

In the commotion no one saw Vincent come back or the guest he brought with him. “Chandler? What are you doing here?”

“Santana asked me to come.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> U + Ur Hand: Gottwald, Lukasz; Martin, Max; Moore, Alecia; Yacoub, Rami 2006
> 
> A Come to Jesus Meeting is one where once it’s done…You WILL see the light.


	54. A Good Old Fashioned A** Whippin'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone unexpected gathers everyone together to get everything out in the open instigating a showdown that was long overdue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been writing this for a year…Wow! Thank you to everyone who has chosen to take this ride with me.
> 
> This chapter is longer than others. It is acting as sort of a recap to this point. Plus, I had a request for a review of my original characters.
> 
> One of the primary characters in this chapter speaks with a heavy US southern accent and words are spelled phonetically. 
> 
> Many of the storylines mentioned in this chapter are based heavily on Glee canon. The narrative also makes no attempt to mask my opinion/disdain of certain canon characters and their actions, as they relate to both canon and this story (primarily Kurt). Please see previous chapters for disclaimers.
> 
> Warning: Mentions of hate crime and belief of a character's death
> 
> Despite the title there will be no spanking in this chapter (not even the fun Seblaine kind). However, there will be more than one slap.

** Sunday Morning 8AM **

The rooftop patio was Blaine's favorite part of the family’s New York apartment. Sun, rain, snow, hot, cold…none of that mattered. One night when he was 12 he fell asleep up there and got pneumonia when the temperature drop of 40 degrees failed to wake him. After that his dad brought in a dozen more portable heaters and had a storage closet for blankets built. He also installed a security system and didn’t give Blaine his own passcode until just last year.

It’s not like he went up there to hide. Ok, maybe he did…but he also wanted to write a little. It would have been rude to play his guitar, or worse the piano, that early. That early as in when he woke up at 6AM.

Hey, he was going to be a college student soon. Wasn’t he supposed to learn how to survive on 4 hours of sleep?

“You want some company?”

Any other person on the planet and the answer would have been _Hell No!_ “Bas, what are you doing here? And if you tell me that coffee has at least a double shot of espresso I will love you forever.”

Sebastian handed him the coffee and then climbed under the blanket with Blaine. Even though it had been unseasonably warm, there was a slight nip in the air “It has a triple shot so I guess that means we’re stuck with each other and…”

Blaine was so focused on the coffee that he missed the bag Sebastian was holding. “Cronuts! Oh my god (pause for bite followed by moan)…so good. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Sebastian kissed the top of Blaine’s head before retrieving his own pastry “Rough morning?”

“Actually, I have made a major dent in a new song I’m writing.”

“That’s great but you know that’s not what I was talking about. I saw Tommy before I came up.”

“Brody. After a 45 minute discussion it was agreed to that he will be referred to as Tommy for anything that happened prior to his disappearance but now he is Brody.”

“Are you going to be able to do that? I mean you have called him Brody but it’s usually when you are talking about him and Rachel.”

“We all know how bad I am when going back and forth between Uncle Rob and Al Motta. It will probably be a fucking disaster but what part of this whole thing hasn’t been. Can we please talk about anything else? I want to live in denial for a little while longer. Wow, I seem to have been saying that a lot lately.”

“I think I can help with that.” Sebastian reached into the bag and pulled out a gift “Happy 6 month anniversary.”

“But we’ve only been boyfriends 5 months” Blaine was confused but figured out what Sebastian meant when he unwrapped the framed picture of them with the rest of the Warblers right after Blaine had surprised them with his return to Dalton.

“But as of today, you have officially been Blaine Anderson, Warbler Co-captain for 6 months. Everyone was so happy, B. Jeff and Nick joked about how when we turned and saw you, you were straightening your tie just like you did when you sang _Bills, Bills, Bills_. They knew right then _You_ were back, not the fake _Blaine Warbler_ that had been part of the New Directions.”

“Not quite, but I was pretty sure I could get there.” Blaine ran his fingers across the glass. They really were happy that day. “You have your arm around Trent’s shoulders. You guys were that close even back then?”

“We weren’t besties yet but this was the moment I knew that we would be. Did I ever tell you what happened between the two of us the night of your fight with Hunter?”

“No, I just know you kicked him off the Warblers to protect him from whatever Hunter had planned.”

 **Flashback**  
_“Sebastian, you have to let Blaine do this” Trent told him in the way that only he could._

_Tears came to Sebastian’s eyes as he practically begged to be let go “Trent, I can’t see him fall to the ground like that again. I can’t hear him scream out like that again. I ran away last time. I won’t do that again. You have to let me stop him.”_

_“You’re not running away” Trent assured him as his tears had finally begun to fall “You’re letting him do what he needs to do. Sebastian, we’ve all known that you have been in love with Blaine since the moment you saw him and it broke you when Slushie-gate happened. This is his way of bringing you back to us. You have to trust him and you have to trust us that we would never let Blaine be hurt like that again.”_  
**End of Flashback**

“It was the first time I had truly trusted someone. He gave that to me and I will never forget it.”

“Like Drum and Wes helped me learn to trust people again after my attack. Like you helped me learn to trust my heart again.”

Their lips were about to meet when Sebastian pulled back to check a text. “Time to get up, B. Our presence is requested, better make that required in your living area.”

“Bas, what’s going on?”

“From what I’ve been told, we’re about to get a (with a southern accent) _A good old fashioned ass whippin’_.”

Blaine froze in his tracks and all coloring instantly drained from his face. “Rosa. She doesn’t know about Tommy…Brody. Fuck!”

“Oh, she knows.”

Blaine didn’t know what to expect when he got downstairs but it was definitely not what he saw. Almost everyone from the night before was there. Artie was also there which was puzzling since he wasn’t supposed to come to New York until the next day. But, the most surprising thing was seeing Chandler sitting beside Kurt…yeah, that was going to need an explanation, but it could wait. “Hey, Artie. What are you doing here and where are Tina, Amanda, Chester and the other guys.”

“The guys headed back to their schools” Beat told him and then Mike added “Tina and Amanda are already on their way to Rhode Island. They wanted extra time to explore the campus before the official tour tomorrow. They’re only staying the one day because Amanda has to get back and prepare for Cheerio Nationals.” Blaine had forgotten that Amanda was one of the two Cheerios Brittany and Kitty convinced to join the New Directions before Sectionals. He hated to say it, but he just always thought of her as the girl that got to wear his diva outfit during the Diva-Off (He said his outfit because technically he had never returned it).

“And I’m here because my mom and I got a call last night saying if I wanted to fly out early there was a private jet waiting on me” Artie told him. Blaine was confused about what Artie said until his Uncle Robert and Sebastian’s dad, Xavier, came out from his dad’s office carrying a bunch of legal looking paperwork with pens attached.

Now he was just confused period.

“Boys, have a seat.” Xavier motioned toward where Sam and Trent were sitting.

“Ok, listen up everyone” Robert said as he and Xavier began to hand out the papers. “These are confidentiality agreements. Usually we would tell you to take them to your personal attorney, but there isn’t time for that. Each of you have a choice…either sign or leave. It’s that simple. You will note that the penalty for breaking the contract is $50,000 and any other consequences deemed appropriate.”

All but a few knew that the word consequences represented whatever would be the true penalty. The few that didn’t (Mike, Quinn, Mercedes, Chandler, Artie, Nichole, Rachel) knew to go ahead and sign considering how fast the others did. The only other person that didn’t understand consequences was Brody, but he was in enough trouble anyway.

The one person the two lawyers had their eyes on was Kurt, but he was actually the first to sign. It didn’t appear that anyone would be leaving…some from curiosity and some from stupidity. Ok, if you wanted to be nitpicky, Xavier did take the documents and leave but he was replaced by Rosa. Five foot-nothing, 98 pound, grey-haired 60 year old spitfire who was more than ready to kick ass and take names later.

Oh fuck, were they in trouble.

She stared at each one of them and even the ones that didn’t know the _formerly Motta’s/now Sebastian’s sister’s_ _housekeeper/cook/nanny/angel from heaven_ knew enough to keep quiet. “Puddin’, can ya go ahead and come on in here, please.” Evidently Puddin’ was Sam’s sister Stacie, who came in from the kitchen dressed in the Cinderella dress, sparkly shoes and tiara she had received for her birthday. She was also carrying baby Izzy who was dressed similarly but without the tiara and her dress was in her signature pink. Izzy looked as if she was afraid of all the people assembled and might cry, but then she saw her favorite person.

“Bas!”

While everyone giggled and _Ahh_ ed at the cuteness, Rosa took Izzy from Stacie. “I want ya’ll to listen to me good. I came on here to New York to take care of one baby…this lil’ pumpkin’ right here. I don’t have time to be babysittin’ a bunch of half grown should have known betters. Am I makin’ myself clear?” When she didn’t get what she considered a proper answer the first time, Robert shook his head. He knew what those kids were in for having been on the receiving end of Rosa’s wrath more than once.

“Did your mommies and daddies not teach you how to show respect and answer a question properly? I’m only gonna ask this one more time. Am…I…makin’…myself…clear?”

After a unison chorus of “Yes, Ma’am”, Rosa gave a half-satisfied grunt before telling Izzy “Go on and wave bye-bye to your Uncle Sebby. He and his friends are stayin’ here and we’re goin’ have a big-ol’ chat.” Izzy showed off her new skill of waving before returning to Stacie’s arms and going back to the kitchen.

Before Rosa had looked mad. Now she was pissed.

She pointed to Blaine and Brody and told them to “Get your cute lil’ asses up here right now!” Despite their fear, they both went to stand before her. She went to Brody first. He knew she was mad but he wanted nothing more than for her to hug him like she did when he was a little boy. That didn’t happen.

_*SLAP_

“How in the hell did you think for one minute that it was ok to let us think you were dead? For almost 4 years!” There were a few audible gasps but no one was about to say anything (although both Chandler and Finn squeezed Kurt’s arms as a hint not to do so).

She didn’t give Brody the time to answer before she went to Blaine “Did you know where this idiot was for goin’ on 8 months and not say anything caus’ he asked you not to?”

“Yes, Ma’am” he said softly while anticipating his own slap. Instead, Rosa went back to Brody.

_*SLAP_

“How could you do somethin’ like that to Blainey?” Again, she didn’t wait for an answer but did pull him into the hug he had craved since he first saw the woman he considered to be his grandmother. Everyone else waited (awkwardly) while the two had their moment. When it was finished Rosa pulled away and called out for Cam. This time there was a question that could not go unanswered.

“Why is our substitute teacher, Mr. Murphy, here?” Artie asked.

Rosa smiled a sweet-as-honey smile that wasn’t fooling anyone. “Artie, Sweetie, patience. Got it?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Artie didn’t know what the hell was going on, but was almost…well, honored that he was being included. When Blaine convinced McKinley to excuse students for college/career visits like Dalton did, Artie hadn’t been that surprised seeing that both Sue and Emma like him so much. What he couldn’t believe was when Blaine’s family offered to pay his way and let him stay at their apartment (which, in his opinion, was essentially a mansion on top of the actual apartment building).

He had seen what Blaine had done for his New Directions friends…Sam, Santana, Brittany, Mercedes and even Puck. It was just a little hard to wrap his mind around that he could be one of those people. Although, now that Sugar and Nick had broken up maybe Blaine wouldn’t threaten to hurt him if he asked his cousin to prom.

Artie snapped to attention and saw that Mr. Murphy (Cam?) was with Blaine and Brody(?). Sugar had also joined them and was attached to that Brody guy. Blaine didn’t look very happy about it.

“Ok” the distinctive sound of Rosa’s filled the room “Ya’ll are goin’ hear a story and when it’s done, it’s done. Anything after that is a nunya…as in nun of ya business. Do ya’ll understand?” The chorus of “Yes, Ma’am” was more to her liking this time. “Good.” She didn’t say anything else but just took Brody and Sugar by the hand and told Robert to follow her. They headed to Sugar’s room for what Blaine could only assume was alone time with the newly discovered (for them) Brody.

Blaine looked at Cam for a clue of where they should begin. He had a feeling Rosa was making his former body guard do this with him for a reason. “I think I should start” Blaine told him.

“They’re you’re friends.” Yeah, Cam was still pissed.

Turning back to the crowd, as that was what it was, Blaine tried to figure out the best way to get through this. He decided to start at the beginning.

“Sugar’s mom was my Aunt Cory, my mother’s sister. I loved her so much. She taught me to play all of the string instruments I can play…violin, bass, mandolin, cello, guitar. Although, I did basically teach myself electric guitar. Anyway, until I was in 9th grade, my family lived in Detroit but Sugar’s family lived in Columbus. However, it’s only about a 35 minute flight so I spent a lot of weekends, holidays and vacations in Columbus while I worked with Aunt Cory. That’s where I met Tommy.”

“Who’s Tommy?” Quinn asked. She remembered that Blaine had used the name at the Warblers Regionals in the song _It’s My Life_. It was the only name he used that was unrecognizable.

“My brother” Cam told her. He left it at that.

“I barely knew Cam but Tommy, Sugar and I were inseparable even though Tommy was 3 years older than me so 5 years older than Sugar. When I was 14, my Aunt Cory was diagnosed with cancer. I found out less than a week after I came out to my parents. My family moved to be closer to my aunt and let’s just say a lot of misunderstandings happened and I wound up at Westerville High. At the same time, I realized I was head-over-heels in puppy love with Tommy. Sorry Bas, my first big gay crush wasn’t Santa.” When Blaine heard giggling, he didn’t have to guess who it was. “Shut up, Thad.”

Nari looked around the room because now more people that Thad were giggling “What’s so funny? Who’s Santa?” Wes leaned over and whispered in his sister’s ear “Oh my god, the Gap Attack guy?!” she practically yelled, sending the giggles into full-on laughter.

“Gee, thanks Wesley” Blaine joked. When there was no response, it became apparent that something was bothering Wes. Another thing to add to his list of things to find out. “So, Tommy” he said getting everyone focused back on him. “It took me a couple of weeks but I told Tommy I had feelings for him thinking nothing would come of it since he had recently broken up with his girlfriend. Well, surprise, surprise he had broken up with his girlfriend because he had developed feelings for me similar to my feelings for him.” He turned to Jeff, who was going through something similar after Nick’s sister Nichole broke up with him. “It was the best thing for both of them. It wasn’t fair for Tommy to continue to date her even if he never acted on his feelings for me.”

Jeff gave Blaine a nod acknowledging that he understood. Then Blaine went to the one person he was surp…no, flabbergasted he hadn’t heard from “Nothing to say about Tommy, Kurt? Or has all the time you’ve spent with Brittany made you more, what’s the word I’m looking for? Oh yes, has your time with Brittany made you more flexible about your views on sexuality?” There was no verbal response, but the panicked faces on those that were at the loft last night said a lot.

Damn it! Blaine internally swore as he had begun to notice that a lot of crap must have gone down after CallBacks that he was unaware of. But wasn’t this whole gathering about not trying to solve each other’s issues? Were these the types of situations he was to let go of and let others handle them?

“Ok, good. So, Tommy and I talked and decided before we went out and announced our feelings to the world we would try to go on a date. Unfortunately, I happened to be on this whole _I want to be a normal kid_ kick at the time…” Blaine paused because he knew once he said this he could never take it back “…and I invited him to the Sadie Hawkins dance my school was having.”

There was an audible gasp and then silence but Blaine was focused on one person…Rachel. He watched as she put the pieces together until “Brody is Tommy, isn’t he?”

“Yes”

Awkwardness filled the room as one by one their friends made the Rachel/Brody/Blaine connection. Before any of them could make a comment, Sam jumped up “Ok, Chandler, dude, I don’t know you but if you’re like everyone else in this room you need to hear this. None of you have the right to judge anyone with what that person had to do for money. None of you have been homeless. None of you have had to skip a meal to make sure your little brother and sister had one. None of you have ever been pulled away from the only true friends you’ve ever had and watched the guilt on your parents’ faces when they told you it had to happen.”

“Do you think I’m proud of the fact that I was a teenage stripper? That maybe I joke about it so I don’t have to think about what could have happened to me? That I don’t get on my knees every night thankful that Finn and Rachel came to Kentucky and pulled me out of there? No, I’m not proud but can any of you say you are proud of everything you’ve done?”

It was not lost on any of the New Directions that Sam was staring at Finn when he said that last line.

“So, I know most of us heard things that were said after the Rachel/Brody break-up but as Rosa put it all of that is a whole lot of nunya business. It is between Rachel and Brody and if any of you decide to say something you’ll have me to deal with and probably his big brother over there. I’m warning you now, Cam is one of the guys who would know where to hide your body.”

“This would also be a good time to remind all of you that you chose to stay and signed confidentiality agreements.” Blaine’s comment was once again focused at Kurt but right then he really didn’t care, he was so proud of Sam. The way he had taken charge reminded Blaine of the day the blonde went from friend to family.

**Flashback: Day after Fight Club**

_“Blaine, are you sure you’re ok?” Blaine’s mom Pam asked as she watched him limp for the 4th time that afternoon._

_“I’m just worried about what’s going on at Dalton” Blaine told her, not understanding exactly what her question referred to. At least he acted like he didn’t. “I hope Mr. Montgomery and the other members of the Board of Governors figure out how Hunter was able to get admitted to Dalton in the first place.”_

_“That’s not what I meant…” Pam was interrupted when the doorbell unexpectedly chimed. “Maybe that’s someone with some information.”_

_Blaine went to the door, trying not to limp, but it wasn’t anyone from Dalton “Sam? What are you doing here?”_

_“Not the time, Dude” Sam said as he pushed his way in. He was about to say something about the fight the night before but then he noticed Blaine’s mom. “Hi, Mrs. Anderson. Nice to see you again.”_

_“Who’s at the door?” Blaine’s father, Charles asked as he came into the room from his office._

_“Dad, you remember Sam? He’s in the New Directions and was the one that went with me to Dalton to get the Nationals trophy back.”_

_“Of course, Sam.” Charles actually didn’t remember the boy but his years in the business world had taught him how to pretend like he did._ _“What had you drive here all the way from Lima?”_

_“I came to tell Blaine to go back to Dalton.”_

_“What!” the Andersons yelled in unison. Blaine grabbed Sam by the arms and walked him away from his parents. “What are you doing? I gave you my word that I would stay at McKinley.”_

_“And I’m giving your word back and telling you to get your ass to Dalton. Blaine, you have been happier in the past two days being with your Dalton friends again and you know…” Sam leaned in and whispered “Fight Club” before continuing. “No offense, but you have been a sad and whiny lump of misery since your break up with Kurt. It’s getting on my nerves. Go back to Dalton.”_

_“It’s not that simple.” He couldn’t say that one of the primary reasons he stayed at McKinley was Sugar. However, Sugar had given her blessing when he had decided to return to Dalton before Sam stopped him. She had even raved about her acting skills when she was able to look surprised as everyone else when Finn told them why Blaine wasn’t in Glee that day._

_Blaine’s parents had stayed out of the conversation as long as they could “Boys, you want to tell us what this is about? I thought you changed your mind about going back to Dalton, Blaine.” Charles (and Pam) were hopeful that this Sam could convince Blaine to change his mind yet again._

_“Yeah, that was my fault” Sam admitted. “And since Blaine is being all honorable and keeping his word…blah, blah, blah, I brought some incentive to change his mind.” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a black piece of fabric._

_“Is that my NightBird mask?” Blaine asked._

_“Sure is. You left it in the truck after we rescued the trophy” Sam said before pulling out a lighter and sparking the flame. “Say you’ll go back to Dalton or it goes up in smoke.”_

_Pam and Charles tried to hold back their laughter while Blaine stared at Sam like he had lost his mind. “I do have other masks you know?”_

_“I thought you might say that.” Sam put out the flame and gave the mask to Blaine. Then he pulled out a different piece of fabric._

_“Hey! That’s my favorite bow-tie. How did you get that?”_

_“Doesn’t matter.” Sam lit the flame again giving no sign that he would back down._

“Sweetheart, _you should listen to him” Pam told Blaine with the straightest face she could muster. “I think he’s serious.”_

_Blaine saw the hope on his parents’ faces and then turned to look at the face of the best friend he had had in a long time “Fine, I’ll go back to Dalton.” With that said he prepared himself to be the center of an Anderson sandwich, but that wasn’t what happened…at least not for him. Sam on the other hand…_

_He was basically smushed as he was wrapped in Blaine’s parents’ undying love. Right then and there Blaine knew that Sam Evans would forever more be a part of the Anderson family._  
**End of Flashback**

He was ready to go on to the next part of his story when Blaine was stopped by something that he should have seen coming…Kurt lost his fucking mind. “So, we’re just supposed to accept what Brody…Tommy…whoever the hell he is did to Rachel? Boo-fucking-whoo, he got beat up so he became a prostitute?! And Blaine, don’t think for a second that I didn’t hear when that Rosa person said you knew about him for 8 months. He was the one you said you were with. Wasn’t he? Well, you know what Blaine? I forgive you.”

Rosa must have made her point because instead of everyone jumping in to confront Kurt they turned to Blaine. Most of them questioned his lack or emotion, but the Senior Warblers (who were also the Rules Council of the disbanded Dalton Fight Club) knew exactly what was going on with Blaine. He was in his head, getting ready for a fight. They were fairly sure he wasn’t going to actually hit Kurt but…

_*SLAP_

No one had noticed that Sugar came back. In fact, several people had come running in when they heard Kurt besides Sugar…her father, Sebastian’s father, Sam’s father, the other members of Cam’s protection crew (Daniel, Vincent, Ralphie) and of course, Rosa.  
“Ya know boy, I always knew ya was a stupid prick but I didn’t know ya was that stupid.”

“How dare you…”

_*SLAP_

This time Ralphie came over and pulled Sugar away from Kurt.

“Listen up.” Rosa took charge yet again knowing Blaine needed time to calm down. “I’m pleased as punch that Blainey has such good friends. But, as long as all these artsie-fartie school people think he’s the guy in that Where’s Waldo game and want to put him on that BoobTube every time one of them finds him singin’ a song, there can’t be any of ya’ll’s drama out there. If there’s a problem that ya can’t talk to Blainey ‘bout, come to me. I’ll be at Sebby’s place with Miss Sierra and the Pumpkin’. If that won’t work, ya’ll go to Cam or Daniel. They’ll be with Blainey and Sebby. Vincent will be here too, but I’m thinkin’ he’s about to be busy. Ya’ll got that?”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“See? I knew ya’d catch on. Your all good kids, but no matter what ya think, ya’ll are still kids.” She smiled at the group transforming into the grandmotherly figure Blaine and Sugar described her as and not the mini-dictator they met earlier. “Now, Sebby and Tana, ya’ll gotta go meet Miss Sierra at Blainey’s godmomma’s place. Sammy, go say bye to your family before they head back home. Sugar get your bags. All the rest ya’ll, I know ya got lots to do this week so go on and get ready for it. Finn, Rachel, don’t go nowhere. Blainey and this idiot are finishin’ this.”

As much as everyone was dying to stay and watch Blaine and Kurt go at it, they knew better. On the way out, Santana stopped to talk to Chandler. “I’m sorry I dragged you into this. It seemed like a good idea last night.”

“No” he sighed “I’m glad you did.”

“You’re in love with Hummel, aren’t you?”

“I thought I was but now...?”

Chandler walked away but Santana didn’t go to Sebastian when she saw Artie, Mike and Sam standing together. “What’s going on?”

Sam, who was obviously unhappy (more like pissed) spoke for them “Artie got a text from Ryder. Mr. Schue saw the Stress Relief video from last night and has been calling the New Directions saying it proves I’m trying to sabotage our chances so the Warblers can win Nationals. We’re meeting up at Mike’s hotel in 3 hours.”

Santana shook her head in disgust. She had a feeling something like this was going to happen “Give me four and I’ll be there.”

It took a little over 15 minutes for the exodus to complete. Except there was one straggler who started his good-byes with Rachel “You’re much stronger than you think, Ray. You can do this” Sebastian told her.

She immediately fell into him and sighed when he wrapped his arms around her “When you say it I believe it. I know I’ve given you no reason to believe in me…”

“We’ll talk soon. I promise.” He had to lean down to kiss the top of her head (damn, was she short!) and the pulled away and walked over to Finn “I know you have no reason to listen to me but let her get it out. No matter how much it hurts to hear what she says.”

“I will, man. Thanks.”

Sebastian checked on Blaine, who still hadn’t said a word and went on to Brody “I’m not going to pretend to know what’s going on with you and the alternate universe of your life you have stepped into but I’m trusting you’ll take care of Blaine. What you need to know is right now he is in what we call Wolverine mode. After the attack, your brother taught him how to fight and he was really good. He never lost but a few months ago he fucked up his hands.”

“Are those the scars on his knuckles?” Brody asked.

He took a deep breath so the first thing he said wasn’t _How the fuck have you been close enough to B that you’ve seen his knuckles?_ Instead Sebastian said “Yes, and he had to make a choice…music or fighting. I have no doubt that Hummel is about to get the verbal beatdown of his life but you can’t let Blaine hit him, especially with his Julliard concert 5 days away.”

“I promise I won’t let him punch Hummel…no matter how much he begs me to let him do it.”

Contemplating his own parallel universe where he was willingly leaving Blaine with both Tommy, the guy who professed his love for him only a week ago, and Kurt who had clearly gone off the deep end was too much of a headache. But, he trusted his boyfriend and in this case Wolverine to do what was best for Blaine…and Seblaine.

Sebastian didn’t say good-bye to Blaine. He just stood next to him for a moment, staring at Kurt before saying he would call later. Now the only ones that remained were Blaine, Brody, Rachel, Finn and Kurt.

And none of them were leaving until this was settled once and for all.

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was my anniversary chapter. I had to leave it with a cliff hanger. I’ll be back in two weeks. *Evil writer laugh (At least I kind of hope you think I’m evil).
> 
> The Trent/Sebastian flashback is from Chapter 3 Wolverine. The Blam flashback would have taken place toward the end of the same chapter. I always meant to put the Blam flashback in to explain why the Andersons would do so much for Sam but it had never fit until now.
> 
> Even though only a few characters were addressed in the chapter, I felt it best to include "everyone" so that any case of "well so-and-so" not knowing wouldn't be a factor. Plus those confidentiality statements will come into play.
> 
> The majority of characters must accept that the rest of Brody's story is "nunya business" but you will find out eventually.
> 
> As always, I would love to here from you. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been with me this whole time or are new to the party. I just appreciate all of you more than you will ever know.


	55. Who I really am/Who Am I?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine is finally beginning to feel at home in his own skin. Sebastian on the other hand…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning (?): Blaine may come off to some as behaving out of character. In the tags it states that Blaine is a bit of a bad ass. While he’s had his moments, this is the beginning of him embracing it.
> 
> Song lyrics were changed to fit the storyline but it will be acknowledged.
> 
> It is Spring Fling Weekend with the theme of cleaning out your WIPs. This is my WIP so the next chapter will post tomorrow.

When Sebastian left only the five of them remained in the Anderson’s vast living area. Blaine and Kurt were standing 10 feet apart, neither taking focus from the other, almost as if they were playing a game of chicken. Finn and Rachel chose to take a seat on a sofa not too far from Kurt. Brody didn’t know what the hell he was supposed to do besides what Sebastian had asked of him and prevent Blaine from doing something stupid like hitting Kurt. In the end, he decided to stand off to Blaine’s right. The way Blaine was flexing his hand, it was easy to tell that would be the where any lead off punch would come from.

In spite of the palpable tension in the room, Kurt was convinced this was the moment he had been waiting for. He had gone into the week with the plan to become friends with Blaine again, after all they had been best friends before they were boyfriends, but he couldn’t do it. He loved Blaine. He always had. He always will. It was time to make him see that they belonged together.

“Blaine…”

“What do you want, Kurt?”

There was only one answer to the question. Kurt took a deep breath and laid his heart on the line. “I want you back, Blaine. I’m still in love with you. I am so sorry I forgot that for a while but I know if you just gave me…gave us a chance we could be happy again.”

Rachel stood speechless as Finn and Brody prepared to jump into action but Kurt’s response seemed to calm Blaine down. Although, sometimes calm wasn’t a good thing and this was definitely one of those times. Blaine might not have been able to use his hands, but his mind was clear and Wolverine could trash talk better than anyone.

“Bullshit.” Ok, so that wasn’t his best response but it got the point across.

“No, you don’t get it.” Kurt took a step closer but chose not to take a second, at least not yet. “I understand what went wrong and I know we can fix it. We can still have the life we dreamed of…go to NYADA together, become big Broadway stars, then someday retire in Provincetown and buy a lighthouse to start an artists' colony.”

“Seriously, Blaine?” Brody knew he should stay quiet but he didn’t understand why Kurt said what he did. “Your dream was always Julliard. It’s all you and your Aunt Cory would talk about and you promised her you would follow that dream. What the fuck is this dickhead talking about?”

“Shut up, Weston! You don’t know him!”

And with that, Finn and Rachel silently agreed it was the time to get involved. Finn moved Kurt back while Rachel tried to talk him down. “Kurt, Brody does know Blaine. That’s what the entire meeting we had with everyone was about.”

“How can you take his side after what he did to you?”

“That’s right, what Brody did to _me_. That has nothing to do with you just like he doesn’t have anything to do with what’s going on between you and Blaine. Right, Brody?”

“Well…Don't give me that look, Blaine. He’s the one that figured out I was Eli.”

“What!?!” It was pretty clear Finn and Rachel hadn’t put that together.

"Surprise!" 

Blaine ignored the new bombshell that had dropped in. It was irrelevant and he was determined to stay on point. “It doesn’t matter. Rachel’s right, this is between me and Kurt.” Brody held up his hands and stepped away, so Blaine turned back to his ex. “I don’t care what you think our problem was or how you think we can fix it, even if I wasn’t with Sebastian there wouldn’t be a chance in hell I would ever get back with you.”

“Why not?” It seemed like a simple (and asinine) question but to Kurt it was a lifeline. Once Blaine answered he would have somewhere to start from. At least that’s what he believed.

He was wrong.

“You can come in now!” Blaine called out, confusing the others.

Sam walked in carrying a laptop. “Damn Dude, you couldn’t go 5 minutes? I barely had time to find it.”

“He thinks he’s figured out our problems and doesn’t understand why I won’t give him a chance.”

“Seriously?” Sam handed the laptop to Blaine then walked over to stand next to Brody. “So, what did I miss?”

Brody had liked Sam from the beginning and not just when he stood up for him in front of all of Blaine’s friends. “Uh, Kurt wants Blaine back. Says he still loves him.”

“Sounds familiar” Sam gave him a playful shove answering the unasked question of whether or not he knew about the letter Tommy sent Blaine. But today was about Kurt. “Let me guess…NYADA, Broadway, lighthouse.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t sound like the Blaine I knew.”

“It’s not. It’s Kurt’s version of Blaine but Blaine will admit he didn’t try to correct it.” Sam watched as Blaine sat down the laptop and pulled out his phone to check a text. “See that evil grin?”

“Yeah”

“You’re about to meet the real Blaine Anderson.”

“Is this that Wolverine Sebastian told me about? I promised I wouldn’t let Blaine punch Kurt and hurt his hands.”

“He won’t. What’s about to go down will hurt much more than that.”

While Sam and Brody were waiting on Blaine, the others in the room huddled together. “What is Sam doing here?” Kurt hissed to both Finn and Rachel.

“I don’t know anything more than you do” Rachel told him, trying not to show how troubled she was by Blaine's attitude. “Do you know anything Finn?”

Finn didn’t and it bothered him. Not for Kurt, but for his own sake. Cooper had hired him but Cam was technically his boss…who could literally kill a guy with his bare hands…and Brody was Cam’s brother…and Finn had beat the crap out of Brody…and now Blaine was all buddy-buddy with Brody. But why did Blaine tell him how to throw a punch if he knew he was going to punch Brody?

Yeah, Finn had his own problems.

He had also stopped paying attention, otherwise he might have been able to prevent Kurt from speaking up. “Blaine, we were having a conversation before for some you called Sam in here. Can’t we send everyone out and you and I talk alone? Please.”

A chime rang out which appeared to be some sort of signal for Sam. When he left, Blaine didn’t say a word but picked the laptop back up and handed it to Kurt. “You delusional son-of-a-bitch. Did you honestly think I wouldn’t have someone monitoring social media?”

Rachel and Finn crowded into Kurt to see what Blaine was talking about. They knew from Kurt's expression it had to be bad.

It was worse than they imagined.

_**The Front Cut: NYADA’s True Gossip Blog We don’t have to stab you in the back. We’ll say it to your face** _   
_**(12:45AM)@nyadaguest: Sebastian may be the boyfriend for now BUT was seen holding hands with NYADA’s Adam Crawford. Maybe that’s what Blaine wanted to talk to Kurt about when they went off for their private talk. Sebastian does have a reputation back in Ohio for being a slut.** _

Blaine took the computer back Kurt and handed it to Brody so he would know what they were talking about. “Before you start your denial process it took Ralphie about 10 minutes to backtrack the guest address to you, Kurt. You see, for some reason I doubted this was you. Not that I doubted you might pull some petty shit-fit because that was a given. What I couldn’t get my head around was that you were stupid enough to post it on the sight we were monitoring due to Hunter’s post.”

Kurt was ready to defend himself but one look at Blaine and knew it was a bad idea. Blaine actually appreciated that so he was able to move on to the other two. It was possible he was even angrier at them. He started with Finn. “You had one fucking job…keep him from doing this shit. How did he even have access? I know Santana didn’t give people their phones until this morning.”

“He had his tablet” Finn mumbled. He knew he had fucked up. Blaine was right, his job was to prevent Kurt from doing something like this while everyone was in New York. There was no way Cooper and Cam were going to let him transfer. He had screwed up his chance to be with Rachel again. No, Kurt had screwed up his chance to be with Rachel again. “I’m sorry, Blaine.”

“Don’t, ok. I’m just frustrated with myself for beginning to believe you weren’t the asshole I always thought you were.”

“Blaine…” the until-then silent Rachel cut in, but he was ready for her too.

“Rachel, I know all about your role in this mess. I…”

“Hello, Golden Boy.”

Blaine didn’t turn around to greet the arrivals because watching Kurt’s face was much more fun “Hello, Hunter. Did you have a nice flight?”

“Yeah, your daddy has a pretty sweet plane. Hello, Kurt. Long time, no see.”

Kurt was frozen and Blaine knew it wasn’t because of Hunter. “Consequences, Kurt. I promised you that if you caused any drama there would be consequences.”

“Don’t do this Blaine. This isn’t you.”

“No, Kurt. This is who I really am.” Of course, Blaine couldn’t let that pass. “Everybody has a dark side and I have learned to love mine.”

For the first time in 2 years, Blaine didn’t care what happened to Kurt. Even these last few months he had watched things carefully fearing his ex might go off on one of his tangents. He didn't care anymore. The only thing Kurt had on him was Fight Club but all evidence it existed had been destroyed. He was finally free.

He turned away from Kurt to see his dad and Cooper exchanging hugs with Brody while Ralphie was showing Sebastian’s dad the data he collected. His Uncle Robert was with Hunter and then there was Sam who was standing next to Burt Hummel. Blaine felt a pang of guilt for setting everything in motion after Ralphie showed him the post. However, this was probably kinder to Burt than if he let former state’s attorney Xavier Smythe handle it.

To say Sebastian’s dad was pissed didn’t begin scratch the surface.

Robert looked at his watch and stepped forward “Blaine, we’ll take it from here. You need to go.”

“Thanks Uncle Rob.” Ignoring the huff he heard behind him, Blaine went to talk to Burt first. “I’m not sorry for what I did but I’m sad that you’re caught in the middle.”

“You didn’t do this, son. Kurt did it to himself. It’s not like he wasn’t warned.”

“Doesn’t make me feel any better. Come on, Sam.”

Sam almost volunteered to stay to support Burt, but decided it was a bad idea. That and there was something else going on with Blaine. “Are you going to tell me what the hell you’re doing?”

“Don’t worry. I should be back before midnight.”

“That’s not an answer. What’s so important that you’re flying back to Lima with Sugar and my family?”

Blaine’s evil grin came back as he sent a text and moments later Sam’s phone pinged. To his surprise it wasn’t from Blaine but it did answer his question.

_**From Brittany: Hey Bitches! Tune in at 4PM Lima time for a special edition of Fondue for Two with a super-secret guest dolphin!** _

Eight hours later, Sebastian fell face first onto his bed. The day had been an emotional rollercoaster but at least he was on his bed and not on the train to Boston.

God, he loved Trent.

Despite all that had happened, Sebastian still planned on going to Harvard with Trent so he wouldn’t back out of telling Nari he had feelings for her. What he hadn’t planned on was a text with a picture of his best friend, the girl he had been in love with for years and the caption _I manned up. Stay with Blaine_.

A call to Thad informed him that the guys had been at Wes and David’s talking about how scary Rosa was when Jeff asked why Sebastian was going to Harvard with them. Evidently Trent stood, took a deep breath and blurted out the master plan not realizing Nari was standing behind him. She promptly asked him what took him so fucking long to say something. Thad said that it was pretty awesome to watch but then had to listen to Sebastian bitch that no one bothered to film it.

Thad also told Sebastian that something was off with Wes. David said he would try to get it out of him but Thad was pretty sure this was a Blaine problem.

Blaine. Shit! He had missed _Fondue for Two_ when his dad insisted they go to dinner so they could have the 3,438th conversation of _What’s going to be your major, son?_ followed by the inevitable soliloquy on what a good lawyer he would be. Yes, Sebastian knew he would be a good lawyer but he wasn’t drawn to it like he felt he should be. He wanted to have the same passion for his career choice as Blaine had for music. The problem was he didn’t have a clue of what that passion could be. Wasn’t that what college was supposed to be for in the first place? Finding your passion and then learning how to turn that into a career?

Or did he need college? Watching Santana boss people around at Vogue had been pretty funny. They were scared shitless of her and she was only an intern. She didn’t go to college, well she did for about a minute but that didn’t count. And what about Nichole? She dropped out of Harvard and she was a Kennedy so that took some pretty big cojones. Could he say that about a girl? Anyway, he should schedule a lunch with her before he went back to Dalton. That is if her parents didn’t kill her when they came to town tomorrow to talk about the dropping out thing.

Maybe he could be the model for Sierra’s new Teen Dior line. The photographer doing the test shots thought he was a professional and not the brother of the designer/Head of Baby Dior. No, his mom would probably throw a fit. She’s having enough panic attacks thinking Julien was going to see this spread and break parole to come find him. Like his murder bio dad would be reading Teen Vogue. Even on the off chance that happened, Puck sent him a daily picture of the asshole proving he was still in Paris. Of course, he hadn’t told anyone (even Blaine) he asked Puck to do that.

Or maybe he should pursue his secret talent of tap dancing. Hey, it’s a thing. Mike’s plan was to go to school for dance but take pre-med classes as well. Why couldn’t he do something like that? Oh yeah, he didn’t know what the other classes would be. Although, he could definitely rule out pre-med.

Or he could become a professional lacrosse player. His Dalton coach had made arrangements for him to work out with the team at Columbia while he was in New York. He didn’t think he’d have the time but when Boston fell through he texted Columbia’s coach and got an open invitation along with their practice schedule. Maybe that was part of his problem. He was out of playing shape and he knew it. So, no to professional lacrosse player but yes to working out at Columbia.

It was amazing how that one simple decision made him feel better about things. So, did a shower.

There was a ridiculously comfortable chair in his room. He grabbed his laptop and settled in. Even though he had missed the live telecast he knew Brittany posted all live episodes of _Fondue for Two_ to her website once they aired. After the introduction Sebastian couldn’t stop himself from laughing out loud as the screen shot proved that Blaine was loved by all that knew him…even the mysterious Lord Tubbington, who was sitting on Blaine’s lap and purring as he was scratched behind the ears.

The first 15 minutes of the interview involved topics like why disco didn’t suck, cheetahs being the fastest land animals and a person’s right to wear hair gel. Sebastian couldn’t believe how fascinating he found the conversations. He would have to ask Blaine about the topics later because it was obvious they weren't chosen at random.

At the 16 minute mark they got down to business.

_So, Blaine Warbler, you have news you wanted to share with my viewers._

_I do. I have launched my own YouTube Channel called Blaine Anderson and Friends. I’m very excited about it._

_Is this because all those videos of you and sometimes your friends keep showing up online?_

_In a way. A family friend described it best when she said I’ve become like Where’s Waldo and anytime someone finds me performing they want to put it online. Since people seem to like these videos I thought I’d put some videos together and raise money for charity._

_So, any money you raise is for charity?_

_Yes. I recently had a friend who had some legal problems but he got them solved quickly because his family has money. He called it the best justice money could buy._

_So, you want to buy justice?_

_No, but we want to help students, especially LGTB students, having bullying problem obtain council so they are aware of their rights. Unfortunately, this is a country where the threat of legal action is a great motivator to get things done that should be happening in the first place. We know this won’t make a huge amount of money but it was something my friends and I could do now. So, I want to say thank you to our wonderful sponsors and I know it can be a pain, but if viewers could take the time to click on the ads, that would be great._

_I know my viewers will because they are awesome!_

_Yes, they are. That’s why I wanted to tell people about my channel on Fondue for Two. Oh wait, there was another reason. Care to tell your many fans what’s going on?_

_(Brittany bouncing up and down in her chair) Yes! Fondue for Two is moving to the Blaine Anderson and Friends channel!_

_Actually, it’s on there right now. Brit will still be doing interviews but will also host live performances. Speaking of live performances, if Lord Tubbington will kindly give me my lap back, I can’t think of a better way to kick off the new Fondue for Two than with you and me singing a song together. (Lord Tubbington moves but only because Blaine asked nicely). Oh, what’s this behind my chair? It’s my acoustic guitar. Imagine that._

_I told Lord Tubbington to put it there._

_I'll have to thank him for that. So, Brit, are you still sure about the words I suggested?_

_Yes, if we can change the words like you said._

_I’m sure that’ll be ok. If Tom Higgenson is watching, you wrote an amazing song. And if I find out you actually did see this…well, there will be fanboy flailing involved._

_(Blaine) Hey there Santana, what's it like in New York City?_  
_I'm a thousand miles away but girl, tonight you look so pretty, yes you do_  
_Times Square can't shine as bright as you, I swear it's true_

 _(Brittany) Hey there Santana, don't you worry about the distance_  
_I'm right there if you get lonely, give this song another listen_  
_Close your eyes, listen to my voice, it's my disguise, I'm by your side_

 _(Both) Ohh, it's what you do to me, ohh, it's what you do to me_  
_Ohh, it's what you do to me, ohh, it's what you do to me_  
_What you do to me_

After the song finished and good byes were said, Sebastian closed his laptop. He knew Blaine had been bothered about how quickly (and quietly) the case of his attack had been settled once the district attorney’s office found out exactly who (and how rich) those involved were. But to do something like this? And the fact that Brittany was now involved after Blaine heard what Kurt said to Santana…that wasn’t a coincidence.

While he was immensely proud of his boyfriend, the news only intensified the negative feelings Sebastian was having about himself. He knew he should talk to someone about them, and he liked the therapist he went to back in Ohio but he was Sebastian Fucking Smythe. Things had never been this unclear to him.

He decided to go see if Izzy was awake since she always made him happy but when he made it to the living area someone else was there. She was probably the last person he wanted to talk to.

“Rachel, go home.”

She couldn’t believe how much it hurt that he called her Rachel and not Ray. “Bastian…”

“My name is Sebastian and I told you to leave.”

“No. I’m not leaving until you talk to me.”

He was _so_ not in the mood for this. “What’s there to talk about? You played me. I walked right into your plan to help old Gayface win Blaine back.”

“It wasn’t like that and I didn’t play you. I told you why I came to see you that day.”

Sebastian thought back, trying to remember exactly what Rachel had said to him. “You said you told Hummel about Blaine’s depression.”

“I also said I was jealous of Blaine and had an _Alpha Gay_ moment. That I did what I did because I was lonely and wanted my two best friends back. I told you how much I regretted it. That I needed you to yell at me.”

“But you didn’t tell me how you used the clout you got from winning the Winter Showcase to push through Hummel’s video and get him a spot in the Dirty Dozen auditions. He didn’t even perform the fucking song until after the deadline. You’re the entire reason he was here in the first place. And then there’s Adam.”

“What about Adam?”

“Hummel wasn’t close enough to me to see Adam squeeze my hand, but you were. How else would he know that happened? You can’t deny it, Rachel. He put it on that blog and then told all of NYADA that I’m a slut!”

“I called Adam before Santana took our phones and yelled at him for doing that. I know you thought it was harmless but he admitted to really liking you. Kurt must have overheard me even though he denied it. By the way, I kicked him out.”

“Why? He’s your best friend.”

That’s when Rachel lost it. “No, he’s not! You are! Yes, I wanted to help Kurt get Blaine back. Should I have told you my role in getting Kurt the audition? Absolutely, but I was afraid of exactly this. That I would lose you.” The tears began to fall but they weren’t working on him as they had done before. “You, Sebastian Smythe, were the first person EVER that wanted to be my friend and didn’t ask for anything but my friendship in return. Everyone else I have called a friend has come from the New Directions. Well, there was Blaine but that started with Kurt. Oh, and Brody but now I’m pretty sure that had something to do with Blaine, at least in the beginning.”

She was right about that one but it wasn't his story to tell. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure there’s a story there. You didn’t deserve that.”

“No, I didn’t but he and I are going to dinner tomorrow night to talk about what happened.”

Ok, that was surprising. “Seriously?”

“Yes, seriously. It’s pretty damn clear that he is important to Blaine and vice-versa. If he’s going to be a part of Blaine’s life here in New York then he and I will have to work through our issues.”

Ok, that was more surprising. “Seriously? Why?”

“Because you are my best friend and I would do anything for you including working things out with Brody so it’s not awkward when he’s around Blaine and I’m around you. You do know that Blaine is hopelessly in love with you, right?”

“I know.” Sebastian stopped himself from walking over to where Rachel had been standing the entire time. She looked so sad that he was tempted to break down and give her a hug but he wasn’t ready for that. He might never be ready for that. “I have a question. How did you know I was here? I’m supposed to be in Boston with Trent right now.”

“I had Mercedes call Sam to get help getting Kurt and Finn out. He brought practically everyone from the meeting and someone said something about your watch dog Daniel not having to go which meant you didn’t go. I took a chance that you’d be home. I’ve been here a while but Rosa wanted to have words with me first.”

Oh, he was pretty sure Rosa had some words for her. “You kicked Finn out. That must have been rough.”

“I kicked Kurt out. I told Finn that it was for the best if he went as well. Did you know Cooper fired him?”

“No, but I’m not surprised. He was given a chance to prove himself and he fucked it up.”

“I know.” Rachel wiped her cheeks and then looked to Sebastian for some sign of forgiveness. There wasn’t one. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you everything sooner.”

“You didn’t tell me everything, Blaine and Santana did." And then without pause "Goodbye, Rachel.”

“Goodbye, Sebastian.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the previous chapter Kurt made a comment hinting that he knew Brody was Eli but it was overshadowed by Sam's speech and Blaine's flashback.
> 
> If the line about the lighthouse and the artist’s colony sounds familiar, it is paraphrased from Episode 4x05 The Role You Were Born to Play.
> 
> If you haven’t seen it there’s a (spoof) video about the cat that played Lord Tubbington and how all the Gleeks hated/were afraid of him except for Darren. There is only about 8 seconds of Darren but it’s worth it to hear Chord say “Darren just likes pussy ( pause for comic effect) cats.”
> 
> As always, thank you for reading. I would also like to remind you that the next chapter will post tomorrow. Don't get used to it :)
> 
> Hey there Delilah: Higgenson, Tom 2006
> 
> In Chapter 53, Kurt call Santana out for being a hypocrite saying she was ignoring Brittany in the same way he way ignored Blaine when he got to New York.
> 
> In Chapter 34, Blaine calls the settlement of his attack The best justice money could buy
> 
> Both Hunter’s appearance and the YouTube channel will get further explanations.
> 
> As always thank you for reading.


	56. Blond Chameleon to the Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine is overwhelmed by an offer but Sam knows what his best friend needs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2nd Chapter of the Spring Fling WIP Event.
> 
> Reminder since it hasn’t been mentioned in quite a while. Sebastian’s Heart is the name of the instrumental piece Blaine sent in for his Julliard audition.
> 
> FYI: Lincoln Center is not a specific building but several different buildings dedicated to the Arts in one area of New York City. Julliard is in that area. I just learned that. Sometime research pays off.
> 
> Warning: Discussion of extensive injuries from a car accident.  
> Sexual (light d/s) language used

If you ask, Blaine Anderson will admit he has 7 beds in 7 different houses across North America…the Anderson houses in Westerville and Detroit, the Motta’s house in Lima and family homes/compounds in Hawaii, Aspen, Cabo and New York. Of all of these his favorite bedroom was the one at the Motta’s. His favorite bed was the one in New York and that’s why he was surprised when he woke up with a horrible kink in his neck. He opened his eyes to find somehow during the night he had become the Big Spoon to his 6’2’’ boyfriend which had never happened before. That would explain it.

Blaine didn’t expect to find his boyfriend sound asleep in his bed last night when he got back from Lima. He tried not to wake him but did. Once coherent, Sebastian told him he had permission from both sets of parents to be there so they could talk about all that had happened over the last two days. They just had to promise to be respectful, which they were.

However, the entire situation was odd considering how relaxed both sets of parents had seemed to be about their sons having sex. Both Blaine and Sebastian were convinced that the change was due to their fathers’ reactions to _Let’s Hurt Tonight_. Maybe Blaine had done the right thing when he replaced it in the Julliard concert.

“Bas, wake up. The alarm went off” Blaine groaned as he tried to crack his neck. “We have to a lot to do today.”

“Nooooooo. Don’t wanna. Too comfortable.”

“Yesssssssss. I have to get to Julliard and you have to go home and get changed to go to lacrosse practice. Are you still going to meet Mike and show him around Columbia?”

It was Sebastian’s turn to groan as he turned to face Blaine “Yes. We’re meeting up at noon for lunch and then are going to meet with my dad’s friend that arranged the campus tour. Now will you please explain to me how you took over the duty of Big Spoon.”

“I have no idea but we need to figure it out because my neck is stiff and I know it wasn’t due to the mattress.”

“Agreed because this is the most insanely comfortable mattress ever. Do we have time for me to give you a shoulder message?”

“Unfortunately, no. Mr. Barnes from Julliard sent a text asking me to come in early and bring Sam if possible.”

“That’s weird. Is Sam able to go?”

“Yeah, he had a free morning except…” Shit!

“Except what, B?”

“He was going to go back to the loft and” Oh, what the hell "...make sure Santana hadn't gone all Lima Heights on Rachel's ass" Blaine said almost apologetically. He had all sorts of guilt about that situation seeing that Rachel only made friends with Sebastian as part of Kurt’s plan to win him back. That might have changed later but the damage was done when she chose not to tell anyone (as in Sebastian). “Mercedes could only do so much to keep the peace.”

“Santana going back to the loft to make sure Hummel didn’t talk his way back in could have been a disaster. I’m glad Rachel kept her word.”

There was a tiny, but noticeable, hint of sadness in Sebastian’s voice when he mentioned Rachel. No way was Blaine going to let her get away with what she did. “Are you ok?”

“I will be.”

“Not the answer I was looking for but I’ll take it. For the time being.” Blaine leaned in for a kiss but the pain in his neck made him wince. Yeah, he needed to get out of bed and into a hot shower to loosen it up.

“Before we leave our bubble I have to ask, are you still ok with my meeting Brody at NYADA since Rachel is out of the question?”

“B…”

“Bas, I was serious last night. I cannot see myself forgiving her so is Brody ok or I do I need call administration to arrange an escort? He did say he had the perfect person to keep my (air quotes) insane fangirls, and I guess fanboys, away.”

“So, you’re sure he had nothing to do with you being a finalist?”

“Completely. I had forgotten how he was around when my Aunt Cory and I started dreaming about my going to Julliard. He loved my Aunt Cory more than he loved his own parents. He would never have gone against her wishes.”

“From what Cam and Brody said about their parents I can understand. And to answer your question, yes, I am more than fine with your meeting Brody at NYADA. I have to admit this whole separating Brody from Tommy thing is helping.”

“Thank you.” Blaine still believed Tommy/Brody was part of Sebastian’s problem but the snooze alarm going off made that a conversation for a later time.

Sebastian did get to stay in bed a little longer since he was going to shower later and only had to do some basic hygiene and style his hair. The thing that took the most time was laughing as Blaine made a losing attempt to tame his curls. Since they arrived in New York the humidity had been high or _fucking ridiculous_ if you asked Blaine. He threatened to break out the gel but settled for a baseball cap. Crisis adverted, they shared one last kiss and headed out. However, for some reason something felt different about this day. It was probably due to the fact they were finally on College Visit week. Even though they were in New York with Beat and the rest of the Senior Warblers were either in Boston or New Haven, Dalton was back in session. This was a school week. The crazy had to end and the serious work of planning their futures had to begin.

Speaking of the future, Blaine was shocked when Sebastian opened up about all the insecurities he was having. He hated that Sebastian would have to lean on their friends for advice and support during this time. They could spend time together at the photo shoot, but that wouldn’t be a good place for serious conversations. The rest of his time was going to be dominated by daily practices for the concert on Friday. And then there was NYADA. Yes, NYADA had crept its way into his plans. He wasn’t nearly finished with Kurt’s consequences even though wished he could be the bigger person and let it go.

Oh, who was he kidding? Kurt (and those that helped him) had to pay.

An hour later, and after a completely awkward breakfast sitting across from Cooper, Blaine met up with Sam outside Julliard’s Music Department administration building. Any other time the two would have been giddy with anticipation but Blaine needed to vent. So, they found some iced coffee (yes, Sam relented due to his need for caffeine) and an out of the way bench. They both felt it was for the best that Blaine got this off his chest before they met with Mr. Barnes.

“I can’t believe I didn’t see how much Bas was struggling, Sam. Maybe Kurt was right and I am a self-centered, attention seeking Alpha Gay.”

Sam lowered his voice as a clue that Blaine should do the same. His last declaration had turned the heads of those who passed by. “Dude, no matter how bad things are they are never bad enough to say Kurt Hummel was right about anything.”

“Think about it, Sam. We rescued the trophy in October and saw something was wrong with Bas. It’s fucking April!”

“Blaine, but the problem was Hunter and you made sure he was gone like a week later.”

“Yes, but then then there was the whole issue with Kurt giving back the recording without telling me, the Fight Club leak, Kurt blackmailing us and Bas finding out…” Blaine held his breath and hoped Sam would let his silence slide.

“You mean Sebastian finding out he’s adopted because his mother was killed by his psychotic, murdering bio dad who got out of jail early stopping you two from going to Paris for Spring Break. Or that psychotic, murdering bio dad’s parents were the ones that adopted him so his parents are biologically his grandparents. Or, you know, both.”

Didn’t see that coming “You know?”

“He told me the day of the Breadstix soft opening when everyone else was fawning all over you for being selected The Future for the concert at Julliard. I would have said something but there never was a reason to.”

“Great, something to add to the list of 101 things I didn’t see was going on with my boyfriend.” Blaine didn’t like the way that sounded as it came out. “I’m sorry. I’m just frustrated in more ways than one, if you get what I mean.”

Sam remembered he agreed to be the friend Blaine could talk about his sex life. Maybe he could divert the topic. “Why don’t you plan one of those big romantic gestures you’re so fond of. Ask Mr. Barnes if you can change _I Dreamed A Dream_ to _You +Me_ since it can be performed with only an acoustic guitar as well. Or if that’s too personal, what about the song you wrote Seb for Christmas, _Mirrors_. I really like that song but I’ve never heard you play it live.”

“I’ll think about it but I’m definitely saying no to _Mirrors_.”

“Why?”

Blaine leaned in as close as he could without it looking strange since they were in public “Um, you remember I told you about what happened the night that inspired _Let’s Hurt Tonight_?”

Well, there was no avoiding talking about Seblaine sex now “You mean the, and I quote, night you went all Dom on his ass?”

“ _Mirrors_ was our safe word so I don’t think Bas would appreciate it if I performed it in front of 2,700 people.”

Oh…OH! OH, SHIT! Wait, Blaine’s still talking.

“We use to dirty talk all the time…well, I use to dirty talk. I have this way of dropping my voice to where Bas says it makes him want to drop to his knees and call me Sir. And I can’t remember the last time I blindfolded him and tied him to the bed. I know I told him we should tone things down while we’re here because he’s so loud…”

“Stop!” Sam smiled as he took a deep breath. His outburst had again earned them attention. “Blaine, I was wrong. I can’t be the friend you talk about your sex life with...”

“Sam, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to say all that. It just sort of came out.”

“No, it’s ok. How about this? I can’t be the friend you talk about your sex life with until I get a sex life of my own.”

“But Sammy, Bas and I will be married and have 5 kids by then” Blaine said with all sincerity before laughing and getting up to head into their meeting. He had to admit that he did feel a little better.

It didn’t take long to find Mr. Barnes’ office and once the checked in they were immediately taken back. “Blaine, Sam, please come in and have a seat” the Music Department Chair said before shaking each of boy’s hand. “Thank you both for coming in so early. I hope this didn’t cause either of you any inconvenience.”

“No” Blaine assured him “But neither of us will deny that our curiosity wasn’t peaked.”

“Then I won’t beat around the bush. Yesterday morning I received a call that Thomas Nye was in a car accident Saturday and broke his left leg, right clavicle and has several other injuries. His doctors say he will be in recovery for at least six months.”

Sam felt sorry for the guy but didn’t understand the problem. Blaine did. “If you talk to him please extend my sympathies.” If anyone could understand long recoveries it was Blaine. Not only from the attack, but it had been over three months since he nearly destroyed his hands and he still did physical therapy exercises daily so he could play his instruments.

This probably wasn’t the time to bring that up.

“Mr. Barnes, I don’t want to gloss over what happened but I think I understand what you’re trying to say. You want me to play a fourth song and you want it to be _Let’s Hurt Tonight_. I’m assuming you asked Sam to be here because the guitarists you’ve tried still can’t play his section properly. Am I close?” He really wanted to be wrong.

But, of course, he wasn’t. In fact…“Remarkably, only I’m asking you to do 5, possibly 6 songs. And I need you to cut _I Dreamed a Dream_. Our Past performer, Harriet Potter, was only supposed to do one song but agreed to do a second…”

“And her second is _I Dreamed a Dream_ ” Blaine finished for him. “That’s actually not a problem. I was going to ask to perform a different song.”

Sam recognized Blaine was already beginning to overthink the situation (duh!) and knew he had to step in. He was fairly certain he knew what questions Blaine would ask if his mind wasn’t in musical genius mode. “Ok, so you still want him to play _Sebastian’s Heart,_ the _Italian Song_ , and I’m guessing he was right about _Let’s Hurt Tonight_ because I’m here. That’s 3…4 with the song Blaine replaces _I Dreamed A Dream_ with. What else do you want?”

“We need songs that showcase the orchestra. Our idea is to change the Present from one student to the entire orchestra and have them accompany Blaine and Harriet. Blaine, I know this is a lot to dump on you at the last minute but we’re kind of in a rough spot. There’s something that I haven’t told you yet.” That didn’t sound good. “There has been such a demand for tickets that we are announcing today that we are changing venues from David Geffen Hall to the Metropolitan Opera. It opens up a 1000 more seats. This has never happened before.”

“So, no pressure” Blaine mumbled. He really, really, really didn’t want to do this.

“Blaine, I promise you can say no and we won’t be upset. We have a Plan B in the works but this is Plan A. I’m going to give you two a few minutes but Blaine, Sam, let me add this. When we heard what happened to Thomas we decided to ask for donations for his care during the concert. However, since we are asking so much of you we want to also raise funds for your new charity.”

“Excuse me?” Blaine was amazed he was able to edit his first thought which was _Are you fucking kidding me_?

“We heard about your YouTube channel and will also allow you to live stream the concert. I know I’m not playing fair and I am putting a huge burden on your 18 year old shoulders. However, I wouldn’t ask if I…if Julliard didn’t think you could do this, Blaine. I’ll be right outside.”

The moment Mr. Barnes left the room, Blaine went off. “What the hell, Sam?” he whisper-yelled as he sprung from his chair and began to literally bounce off the walls. “Julliard is blackmailing me with money for the charity? I mean…What the hell?”

“They’re not blackmailing you, they’re making you an offer you can’t refuse. Yes, that was a joke about your uncle.” Thankfully the levity brought Blaine from total panic to moderately frantic. “Calm down and think this out clearly. And by clearly, I mean get the idea out of your OCD brain that you would have to write something new.”

“No problem there. Everything I write lately is total shit.” Blaine sighed but sat back down. “I don’t think I’d be so freaked out if they weren’t so insistent on _Let’s Hurt Tonight_.” And then he admitted the real problem “Neither of our dads reacted well to the lyrics.”

“I’ll talk to your dad. Hey, it’s my chance to play at Lincoln Center. I’m pretty sure I can guilt him into getting over it and talking to Seb’s dad.”

“Well, he does love you most of all.”

“Fact. If I can get him to chill out are you going to do it?”

“Yes” Blaine answered with a little more conviction. “I just need to get organized. Don’t forget, I’m taking my audition slot at NYADA.”

“I still can’t believe you’re doing that to get back at Kurt.”

“Have you met me or are you thinking of McKinley Blaine?”

Sam had to stifle his laugh but Blaine made his point. “You’ve got me there. Now, what do you need help organizing?”

“Time. I have no idea how I’m going to do all this and help Bas with what he’s going through. Before you say he’ll understand that’s not an option.”

“Never said it was.” The second he finished the sentence, Sam grabbed Blaine by the shoulders. “I know what you need. You talk to Mr. Barnes and I’ll be back soon.”

“Sam…”

“Dude, trust me.”

The expression on Sam’s face left him no doubts. “Ok.”

It took longer than Blaine anticipated but he and Mr. Barnes were able to put together an impressive set list for the concert. The immediate problem was Blaine hadn’t brought the sheet music for his original they added and the 5th song he wanted to arrange himself. He also agreed to the possibility of a 6th song but Blaine wanted to talk to Sam first.

As luck would have it, Sam was back so Mr. Barnes stepped out again and someone else stepped in. “Mercedes, what are you doing here? Don’t you have rehearsal?” Blaine asked after giving her a hug hello.

“Ok, before you get all upset let me talk. The rehearsal I had Saturday wasn’t an actual rehearsal. It was a meeting telling the cast the entire production is moving.”

“I don’t get it. Why is this a problem? A lot of shows have dry runs in places like Boston or Chicago before opening on Broadway.”

“Blaine, the show’s moving to London. Those invited to the meeting were given until next Monday to decide if they want to go.” Blaine didn’t have to ask why she didn’t say anything. The fucking world really did revolve around him, or at least it had this past weekend.

“So, Mercedes needs something to do so she’s not totally obsessing over her decision and you need help keeping your life organized so you don’t totally obsess over not having time for Sebastian. Win, win.” Sam was practically beaming as he explained his self-proclaimed brilliant idea. Not only did he find a way to help both of his friends but he knew Blaine couldn’t say no with Mercedes standing in front of him. Total secret genius move. He would have to add it to the Blond Chameleon’s list of superpowers.

While he didn’t say no, Blaine did ask “Are you sure?”

Sam shook his head as his ex-girlfriend got that look in her eyes that usually led to an Oh, hell to the no followed by a diva moment. “It’s a good thing you’re cute because that was a stupid question. I thought that fancy school of yours taught you better than that.”

Before he could respond, both he and Sam received the same text from Brody. “Uh Blaine, why would he ask me to come to NYADA with you this afternoon?”

“Absolutely no idea.” Ok, that was a lie, but the good kind. “Mercedes, I’m going to text you a list of some things I need from the apartment. I obviously was unprepared for all of this. Oh, and can you meet us at NYADA? I have a strange feeling things are about to get interesting.”

Sam walked Mercedes out while Blaine texted her the list and a plea to stop being stubborn and use the car service. After a few more texts she relented when she couldn’t deny it would most likely get her there and back faster. Now if Blaine could just get the traffic gods to work with him.

He was about to put his phone back in his pocket when he received a new message that made him smile.

 _**From Bas: Why didn’t you tell me Mike was such a great guy?** _  
_**From Blaine: I did. I take it things are going well.** _  
_**From Bas: Beyond great. Awesome. He’s going to help me with my Computer Science graduation project when we’re done here. Said it will help settle his nerves before his Tische audition tomorrow. How’s your morning going?** _  
_**From Blaine: Eventful. I’ll explain after NYADA. This is definitely not a texting conversation.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made my goal of posting a chapter each day of the Spring Fling Weekend. Yay me!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading and comments are welcome.


	57. An Outside Voice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian has been silently struggling with his inner demons. While Blaine tries to help him find his way, it is someone from outside their inner circle that helps him admit something he has been afraid to say out loud…even to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said early on that Blaine’s life would get ridiculous for a while but that’s pretty much over. While how he deals with what’s happened will play a major part in the remainder of the story, Sebastian will be more in the forefront than he’s been. He needed to spend some time in Blaine’s shadow (for lack of a better term) for reasons that will become clear in time

Well, he could cross professional lacrosse player off his list. Sebastian hadn’t taken part in practice because Sierra warned him to _not hurt your pretty face before the photoshoot tomorrow_ , but just being around the team was enough. While he might play recreationally, he no longer had the desire to put forth the amount of time required to play competitively. Hell, he had only used Dalton Lacrosse as a means of exercise the last few months. The exercise was what he missed, especially with the amount of stress eating he had done lately.

It wasn’t like he had gained weight (ok, 5…8 pounds) but looking into the 360 mirror during his fittings had been an eye opener. When he asked his sister about it she told him it was his nerves talking. While he took what she said to heart, it didn’t mean he wasn’t dreading tomorrow.

Something that did go well for him that morning was the talk he had with Mike. He only called to confirm their lunch date but wound up talking for his entire trip to Columbia. He should have gotten the clue that Mike was a great guy when Blaine referred to him as his only _Blaine friend_ and not _Klaine friend_ at McKinley. Sugar didn’t count because no one knew they were cousins and Blam didn’t truly come together until Blaine was back at Dalton.

Not knowing what to do with his suddenly free two hours, Sebastian pulled out his phone to see if Rachel…well fuck! For a moment he forgot what she had done. That didn’t change anything but he still pulled up her name.

_**From Sebastian: I’m deleting your number. Do the same with mine.** _

Unfortunately, he still didn’t know what to do with his unexpected free time. That was until he felt a tap on his shoulder. “Mike, what are you doing here? I thought you were rehearsing for your Tisch audition tomorrow.”

“I was on my way when a little birdy told me you wound up not practicing. I thought you’d like to join me and we can go to lunch from there.”

“A little birdy, huh? Let me guess, 5’8’’ with curly hair, expressive eyes and exquisite tail feathers.”

“Technically, but a big voiced diva bird gave me this to give to you” Mike told him as he handed over a gym bag. “Oh sorry. It was Mercedes not…you know.”

“Thanks.”

Sebastian knew he didn’t have to say what for. Mike knew to let it end there.

“I told you I had a practice room at Julliard until 11:30AM and before you say anything I’ve had that set up for weeks due to my audition there on Thursday.” Sebastian opened the bag to find clothes and shoes he could dance in. “Blaine called me about something completely unrelated but did ask if I would mind you coming with me. He knows that I tend to completely obsess about my routines last minute and have to be stopped from making changes. What’s so funny?”

Sebastian wasn’t laughing, he was hyperventilating. “No wonder you and B get along so well. The Senior Warblers locked him in an empty office before Regionals until he agreed to stop trying to make changes to our routines.” A couple of deep breaths later “Thanks Mike, this is great but promise you’ll kick me out if I become a distraction.”

“Done.”

Once they made their way to Julliard and got started, Sebastian knew instantly that this is what his body had been craving. Mike was the far superior dancer but he was able to keep up (sometimes). It felt good…no, beyond good. Not good enough to make it a career, but dancing was a part of himself he wasn’t going to ignore any longer.

Neither of them wanted to end the fun but after 90 minutes Mike said it would be best if it did. The last thing he needed was to pull something with his Tisch audition the next day.

“You’re doing the same dance at each audition?” Sebastian asked as he sat next to Mike on the floor and handed him a bottle of water.

“Yes, but depending how it goes at Tisch I reserve the right to make changes before my audition here on Thursday.”

“So, the Julliard/Columbia is your first choice over Tisch/NYU?” Sebastian knew Blaine had campaigned hard for Julliard and he had to admit it would be nice to see Mike around campus in the fall. Wes and David would be there but two years ahead. Plus, he’d always be the third-wheel in that dynamic.

“Don’t tell Blaine, but yes. And it’s not due to him or the fact my parents will throw a parade if I go Ivy League. It’s my choice.”

“How did your parents take the news that you wanted to dance and not go to med school?” Sebastian didn’t mean to blurt the question out like that but Mike’s snort/chuckle combo let him know he hadn’t overstepped. “That bad?”

Instead of answering, Mike asked a question of his own. “Have you ever heard of the Asian F?”

“No, but it sounds kind of racist.”

“Huh, hadn’t thought of that. Anyway, an Asian F is an A- and I earned one…in my chemistry class. My dad was at McKinley the next day to see what happened and when he found out I _earned_ the grade he told me I had to drop everything. Football, Glee, even West Side Story and I had busted my ass with singing lessons to get the part of Riff.”

“I saw you. You were good. I take it that means he gave in.”

“Thanks, but no, not until he saw me perform at Sectionals.” Mike took the last swig out of his water bottle and waited to see if Sebastian remembered.

He did.

“Your father sat next to me. I remember he came in late and I got pissed when he bumped leg. God, I was such a douche back then.”

“Yes, you were, but I’m glad you recognize it” Mike said with a wink and a smile but Sebastian appreciated the honesty. “So, when I got off-stage he said he wanted to talk to me. I thought that was the end but instead he said that he and my mom would support me. I thought it was too late to apply to dance schools but Tina had learned to forge my signature and sent in applications for me.”

“That’s…um, sweet?”

“In a totally illegal and creepy stalker kind of way, yes it was. So, long story short, my parents did learn to accept my dream of dancing but they were not happy about it. Neither of them said anything but it was pretty obvious.” Mike paused for moment when he realized what this conversation was about. “Sebastian, that’s not the reason I’m trying to make this change. I’m the one that came to the understanding that I needed more than dance.” When Sebastian’s eyes focused toward the floor Mike knew he was right. “Be honest with me. Are you going to Columbia for yourself or are you going because it’s what’s expected of you?”

“No, I’ve always wanted to go to Columbia…”

“Just not right now?”

Sebastian felt weeks worth of tension melt away. His secret was now out in the universe. How could a person that had been only a minor acquittance only two weeks ago see something that had taken him months to figure out? “How did...? I mean…?”

Mike put his hand on his new friend’s (?) shoulder. He meant it to show reassurance although he might have put it there to prevent Sebastian running off in a panic. “Sometimes it takes someone from the outside to see what’s actually going on. Think about it, Dalton sent seniors to on-site college visits weeks before graduation. At McKinley, the New Directions had Disco Week.”

“First of all, please don’t mention Disco Week to B. It still pisses him off that Schuster didn’t go with the theme for Nationals. I have no doubt he wants to put it in ours and that’s not a fight I’m ready to have with the guys.”

“Thinking back, Mr. Schue would have never went with it. Neither Finn or Rachel would have been able to take lead.” That lightened the mood a bit. “You said first of all…”

“Oh yeah, I didn’t understand the point you were trying to make.”

“You don’t want to accept that you’re not ready to go to college because the entire purpose of Dalton is getting you entitled rich boys ready for the Ivy League. No offense.”

“None taken” Sebastian mumbled. He was not upset with what Mike said only with how true it was.

“And it probably doesn’t help that you are surrounded by your super-hyper focused friends. For example, right now my boyfriend is with Artie going over the short films they’re showing at the Brooklyn Film Institute tomorrow for at least the 15th time. Today!”

“These are the films that will hopefully get them in the advanced freshman program, right?”

“Yes, and after I help you with your Computer Science project, I’m going to Samuel’s apartment and force them to quit so we can go to dinner. Super-hyper focused.”

Being focused wasn’t the part that caught Sebastian’s attention. “Samuel?”

“Yes, Samuel. I can’t call him Sam, I refuse to call my boyfriend Beat and I was told Drum is reserved solely for Blaine. Speaking of Blaine, have you talked about this with him? I can see where that might be a problem considering when it comes to being hyper-focused he’s in another stratosphere.”

“I have, in a way…”

Speaking of Blaine yet again “Hey sexy.”

“Ah, Blaine I had no idea” Mike answered much to Sebastian’s surprise.

“Yes, Chang. I obviously have a thing for tall gorgeous guys with dancer bodies and long legs to wrap around my waist when I have them pressed up against a wall. Unfortunately, Bas said the only threesome he would agree to was with Sam and only if he wore BDSM angel outfit.” Blaine stopped talking because he found Sebastian’s lips on his. The kiss was nothing too intense but it was clear each was happy to see the other.

“B, I don’t know if Mike’s ready for this kind of banter” Sebastian said once he had pulled away and then sat back down next to Mike. “By the way, that last statement of yours was all kinds of wrong considering I was just reminded Beat’s first name is Sam.”

Blaine managed to wiggle his way in between his boyfriend and one of his best friend’s boyfriend. “Are you kidding me? My innuendos have nothing on Puck’s cougar stories.”

If Mike would have had any water left he would have spit it out. “Oh, fuck! Bad flashbacks!”

He and Blaine laughed so hard Sebastian joined in even though he had no idea what they were talking about. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t try to find out later. When all of them finally settled down, Mike said something that took the other two by surprise. “Blaine, you know Puck talked to Finn more than once about what a dick he was to you. He just felt he could only push so far not only from what he had done to Kurt but, you know…(he was going to say more but realized Sebastian might not know) Quinn.”

Sebastian looked at Blaine who gave him a nod to go ahead. “I know about Beth. When Quinn began dating Wes, she and Puck had a talk and decided it would be best if he, David and I knew the whole story. That includes Finn believing he was the father and what happened when Shelby Cochran came back to coach the TroubleTones.” Once he was finished he leaned over and kissed Blaine’s cheek. “Now give me credit for not saying anything about what a fucking moron Hudson was for thinking he could get Quinn pregnant from shooting his spunk into a hot tub.”

Blaine gave him an over exaggerated eye roll but paid back the kiss. Then he gave one last bit of information. “The rest of the guys, including Drum, are aware Beth exists and that she was adopted by Rachel’s biological mother. They don’t know about everything that happened when Shelby came back or the poor choices Quinn made when she was suffering from undiagnosed post-partum depression.”

“Thanks for saying something. Samuel and I try to be honest with each other about things that happened in the past but sometimes the story isn’t ours to tell.” Blaine was going to comment on Mike calling Beat by his given name but before he could… “Oh god, remember when Puck had you, me and Finn sing _Hot For Teacher_ with him because he wanted in Shelby’s pants?”

“Wanted? You mean got in Shelby’s pants. What a fucking Jerry Springer moment… _I slept with the woman who adopted my daughter and now my ex is blackmailing us so she can get our baby back_. That was one time I questioned wanting to be included as one of the guys. Although the shot glasses Puck gave us prior to graduation were nice even if mine said…”

“Drink until she’s hot!” the former McKinley duo shouted in unison before falling over in tears.

“Umm…guys?” Sebastian motioned toward the door as they had been joined by who was most likely student that had the room reserved next. “I think the rest of this particular trip down memory lane should wait until there are actual shots involved.”

While Mike stayed behind to talk to the other dancer, Blaine and Sebastian went out to the hallway to speak privately.

“What are you doing here, B?”

Blaine stepped closer and wrapped his arms around his much taller boyfriend even though he was sweaty from dancing. “I got a call from Santana asking me to talk to Mike. I called him before Sam and I started rehearsing but he said this was more of a face kind of talk so I thought I’d crash your lunch. However, I can just see what he needs to tell me and go. It seemed like you two were in the middle of something when I got here.”

“Wait, Sam was rehearsing with you?” was all Sebastian got out before Mike reunited with them and agreed to the change in plans. Blaine sent texts while the others changed and then they found a small Bistro right off-campus that wasn’t terribly busy and hoped that wasn’t a sign for terrible food.

It wasn’t, in fact the food was quite good. Before it arrived, Blaine focused on Sebastian (and Mike) asking questions about what he (they) had done that morning. He loved how easily the conversation flowed and how well the three of them got along but could see Sebastian was pulling back every so often. Blaine knew that was from his not wanting to get close to anyone new after what happened with Rachel. Sebastian had taken a huge leap of faith and fell hard. He wasn’t going to forget that any time soon.

And neither would Blaine.

When the food came and they finally got around to why Blaine was there it wound up that he already knew what Mike wanted to say. “How did you know?”

“That Chandler stayed with you last night to hide from Kurt? Sam told me, duh. I was with him all morning.”

Sebastian dropped his fork and stared at Mike in disbelief. He also somehow lost the ability to form sentences. “Chandler?.. _.It’s Not Right_ …Chandler?...with you?...Huh?”

“Evidently, Santana has been talking to him about Kurt.” Mike watched as Blaine reached for Sebastian’s hand assuring him that he was fine with it. “He called her yesterday after Kurt got thrown out of the loft. Kurt had been calling and texting him pretty much non-stop but Chandler didn’t want to talk to him after, you know.”

“Hummel making an ass of himself at Blaine’s place yesterday?”

“Yeah, guess he finally got sick of the guy he’s in love with mooning over his ex.”

“Mooning?” Blaine asked.

“His word.” Mike’s response answered the unasked question. “Yes, he’s in love with Kurt. Santana asked if he could stay in the spare room of my suite since Kurt knew what residence hall he lives in at NYU.”

It took Sebastian a minute but he put it together “He was afraid Kurt was looking for a place to stay and he wouldn’t be able to say no.”

“You got it.”

“Do we know where Hummel stayed last night? Is he with Finn?”

Blaine sent out a text and then said “I have an idea of where Kurt is staying and I’ll deal with that tomorrow but Finn stayed with Sam last night. Bas, before you say anything, I respect that Sam has a much different relationship with Finn than I do. What Sam said yesterday about dropping to his knees every night and thanking God that Finn got him out of that strip club…that wasn’t so people would shut up about Brody. I would never ask him to give Finn up for me although I’m pretty sure Finn asked him to choose sides last night.”

“Is Sam ok? Wait, why isn’t he here if he was with you all morning?”

Shit! “He’s having lunch with my dad.”

“Why?”

“Because of what we’re going to talk about tonight.”

Mike could imagine this conversation becoming a never-ending spiral so he stepped in “Blaine, please just tell him. I have to spend like the next four hours with him and I don’t want the conversation to consist of _Why wouldn’t Blaine tell me why Sam was having lunch with his dad_?”

Blaine gave in and began to tell them everything. How the guy that was supposed to be the Present at the concert was in a car accident and couldn’t play. How Julliard had already changed venues so they could have 1000 more seats. How they wanted Blaine to play three more songs…and that’s when Sebastian realized why Blaine had wanted to wait to tell him. “He wants you to play _Let’s Hurt Tonight_ ” Sebastian groaned as he dropped his head into one hand and began to massage away the headache he felt coming on. “It’s why he asked Sam to come with you.”

Mike mouthed _I’m sorry_ but Blaine shook his head. There was no need for Mike to apologize. This was his mess. “Yes, but I told him that the reason I took it out in the first place still existed. Unless I can fix it, the answer will be no. That’s why Sam is having lunch with my dad.”

“What about my dad?”

“Sam thought the whole _This is my chance to play at Lincoln Center_ plea would be more effective if it was just my dad. Then my dad can talk to you dad when he gets back from DC later.”

The mention of DC gave Mike an opening he had been waiting for “Ok, I wasn’t going to ask (yes, he was) but does this have anything to do with Burt Hummel showing up after the majority of us left your apartment yesterday? Mercedes said Rachel, Finn and Kurt were yelling about it before the rest of us came over to get Kurt and Finn out.”

Knowing Sebastian was having trust issues at the moment, Blaine let him take the lead. That way he could have some control over how much they said. “It does and it’s not like we’re keeping things from everyone. We honestly don’t know anything. Our fathers…”

“And don’t forget my uncle.”

“And B’s uncle, are in _We don’t care that they are 18 and legally adults, we’re going behind their backs and make decisions for them without asking their opinions_ mode. Not that I’m bitter about it or anything.” The amount of sarcasm that dripped off Sebastian’s last line was telling. Blaine reached around and began to rub his back. It helped. A little. “Mike, can you not say anything? At least until we know more of the story, but even then there will be a lot we can’t share.”

Mike nodded his agreement and then quickly changed the subject. “Blaine, are you really going to audition at NYADA?”

Since Blaine received a text (hopefully the one he had been waiting for), Sebastian answered the question. “He’s going in at 1PM to find out how he’s a finalist since he didn’t apply. But yes, if he can, he will audition but only to win the full-ride scholarship.”

“Why? I mean, is there some reason he wants it when someone else might actually need it?”

“To make sure Hummel doesn’t get it. If anyone else comes in 2nd then B will give the scholarship to them. Let’s face it, if he got an audition without applying, he’s going to win.”

The now-upbeat mood changed drastically when Blaine threw his phone onto the table. “That son of a bitch! He’s letting his own father take the fucking blame for what he did!” He got up and walked off but left his phone so Sebastian and Mike would understand.

_**Breaking News: U.S. Representative Burt Hummel of Ohio resigns effective immediately after admitting to his role in the scandal currently rocking Dalton Preparatory Academy in Westerville. More details as they become available.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading.


	58. And Here's What You Missed

**I promised a character review a few chapters back. I tried embedding it in the story but it didn’t work the way I intended. I have to admit that I had a small panic attack when I reached a year of writing this story and saw no end in sight. I was trying to cram too much into each chapter and things got lost/muddled.**

**I’m better now so here’s attempt #2. It is not all encompassing. I did not include canon characters that had little to no change (ex. Rachel still @ NYADA, Kurt not) and I have only included people/stories important to New York. When everyone is back in Ohio I will review what’s going on there at that time.**

**An asterisk * means there is more about this character in the section marked Backstory.**

**Thank you for hanging in there with me.**

* * *

  **The People**

Blaine   
Dad: **Charles** is CFO of the Ford Motor Company and is a member of the Ford family  
*Mom: **Pamela** in-demand interior designer and is a member of the Vanderbilt family  
*Brother: **Cooper** is currently dating **Holly Holiday**  
*Cousin: **Sugar Motta**. Her mother and Blaine’s mother were sisters (Sugar’s mom died)  
Uncle: **Al Motta** but goes by **Uncle Robert**. Running joke that Blaine is the only one that can never remember to call him Al at the courthouse.  
Godmother: **Anna Wintour**. He calls her **Bibbi** , she calls him **Charming**

Sebastian   
*Dad: **Xavier**. Lawyer and Columbia Alumnus.  
*Mom: **Juliette**. Calls Sebastian **My Darling Boy**  
*Sister: **Sierra**. Designer for Dior and has just taken over at Baby Dior.  
Niece: Isabella but he (and most everyone else) calls her **Izzy**. 6 months old. Sebastian is head-over-heels in love with her and vise-versa  
*Biological Father: **Julien** , son of Xavier and Juliette (Sebastian is their biological grandson).

The other OC’s You Need To Know  
**Nichole Duval:** Warbler **Nick** Duval’s older sister. Friends with Old New Directions girls. Recently dropped out of Harvard broke up with Nick’s bestie **Jeff** because she has feelings for someone else. Someone else is **Sam**. She has not admitted but a few have guessed.  
**Rosa:** Former housekeeper/cook/nanny for the **Mottas** that is now working for **Sebastian’s sister, Sierra**. Petite 60 year old with a THICK southern accent. Is truly the person in charge of everyone and everything. Either seen as warm and grandmotherly or scary and evil. **Chandler (Season 3)** is her great-grand nephew.  
**Jackie:** **Beat’s** mom and powerful music executive.  
**Doc/Dr. Shepard:** Blaine’s therapist (although, technically Blaine fired him) but has occasional Skype sessions with **Rachel**.  
**Nari:** Narissa Montgomery is **Wes Montgomery’** s little sister. Dated **Sam** but now might (will) date **Trent**.  
**Mr. Barnes** : Dean of Music at Julliard and in charge of Blaine’s concert.  
***And the Big One…Tommy**  
1\. Tommy was the other boy attacked at Sadie Hawkins with **Blaine**  
2\. He disappeared soon after and his parents let everyone believe he was dead  
3\. Blaine found out he was alive because **Tommy was Eli** …the guy Blaine supposedly cheated on **Kurt** with.  
4\. He later told Blaine he had changed his name to **Brody Weston**

Canon Character (with a little OC) changes besides the obvious no Klaine and no Blaine cheating  
**Mercedes:** Moved to NYC to take understudy role of Effie in _Dream Girls_. Living with **Santana and Rachel.** Dating former Warbler **David.**  
**Mike** : Leaving Joffrey for NYC. Decided he needs academics and not just dance. Dating **Beat** but calls him by his given name **Samuel** (Blaine calls Beat **Drum** ).  
**Brittany:** No secret genius. Had been working on friendship with **Kurt**  
**Adam:** Adam’s Apples are extremely popular (think StarKids). He’s attracted to **Sebastian**  
**Hunter** : Went to jail as part of Dalton scandal but is out. No explanation yet.  
***And the Big One…Cooper:** Moved back to Ohio and bought Breadstix. Also, his Uncle **Al Motta** gave him his “Security  & Protection” business (Yes, the quotation marks mean there are mob ties to the business). The business includes ***Cam** who was **Blaine’s “body guard”** for years following the Sadie Hawkins attack and is now in charge of NYC crew. ***Daniel/Vincent/Ralphie** are the others in NYC crew. I don’t refer to them as the NYC crew. I thought it would be the easiest way to explain.

**Backstory**

Sebastian’s Adoption  
1\. **Julien** killed Sebastian’s biological mother, went to jail but now out. This is the reason Seb no longer calls Blaine **Killer.** Says he wants to see Seb.  
3\. Seb’s dad, **Xavier** hired some of Cooper’s guys to go to Paris and keep an eye on Julien. **Puck** is one of them.  
4\. Seb’s mom, **Juliette** freaked out and wanted Seb to go to Stanford to hide. Seb considered it due to mom’s past mental health issues. Compromise…yes to Columbia but he has to have protection ( **Daniel** )

Blaine & Brody  
1\. Blaine’s ex-body guard **Cam** is **Brody’s brother**. Blaine didn’t tell him he knew Tommy/Brody was alive.  
2\. Everyone knows about Brody  & **Rachel** and most know **“Tommy”** sent Blaine a letter saying he still loves him.  
3\. Brody is unaware the Sadie Hawkins attackers have been caught and are in jail  
  
Kurt  
1\. Blackmailed **Seblaine** with info about both Fight Club and Sebastian’s adoption. Got information while he was still at Vogue with help of a guy named **Travis**  
2\. Is obsessed with **Sebastian’s sister Sierra**. No explanation yet.

Randoms  
1\. **Blaine and Cooper** had a big fight before Blaine left  
2\. Both Blaine  & Sebastian’s moms **(Pam and Juliette)** went to NYC early and are up to something

There’s a couple of things I didn’t put in the backstory because this format opened me up to do something I’ve been having trouble working into the main story.

One of Blaine’s attackers stated that he couldn’t be charged with a hate crime because he was gay and the court ruled in his favor. When Blaine had to make the decision of whether or not he was going to fight it in court he sought the advice of Rachel’s dads. He formed a relationship with them during that time. He would never go after Rachel without at least giving them a heads up. So…

**And now, a special episode of _Saving Myself_**

Meanwhile in Lima

_Breaking News: U.S. Representative Burt Hummel of Ohio resigns effective immediately after admitting to his role in the scandal currently rocking Dalton Preparatory Academy in Westerville. More details as they become available._

“Did you find out anything?” Leroy Berry yelled out to his husband as he flipped through the television channels. “How can they announce Burt resigned from Congress and not give us any information?”

Hiram came in from the kitchen carrying his tablet. “Sweetheart, you have got to calm down. I’m not seeing…oh, wait. That’s odd. I have an email from Blaine.”

“An email? From Blaine? What does it say?” When Hiram didn’t immediately answer, Leroy knew it was bad. It was no secret in the Berry family how much Leroy loved and admired one Blaine Anderson. Blaine was everything he would have wanted in a son…wickedly smart, talented, funny, socially aware with a kind and generous heart. So, for Hiram not to answer, something had to be wrong. “Please.”

“Here, read this.” Hiram handed over his tablet and then switched off the television. They didn’t need the outside distraction. “I’m going to get the laptop and come straight back. Ok?”

“What...?”

“Just read it, my love.”

Leroy looked down at the tablet and could tell from the first sentence that his instincts were correct. Something was definitely wrong.

_Dear Mr. & Mr. Berry,_

_I know you have told me dozens of times to call you Hiram and Leroy but after you read this you will understand why that is no longer appropriate._

_Before I go into the reason for this email, there are a few things I’d like to say. When Dr. Shepard suggested I find someone outside of my inner circle to talk to about my court case, I knew it had to be the two of you. I remembered Rachel telling me the story of how you sat her down after you heard the news of my attack. It broke my heart while at the same time inspired me to want to someday be that open and honest with my own children. I admired your bravery and bravery was exactly what I needed at the time._

_And you both came running…well, driving extremely fast and probably broke a lot of traffic laws :) You really didn’t even know me that well…You. Just. Came._

_Then you LISTENED to me. I don’t think either of you said a word for the first hour (I really want to make a Rachel talks a lot joke but I won’t). Then you talked WITH me. And not just that day, but everyday…for WEEKS. I was in therapy for a year after the attack and then months with Dr. Shepard, but it was the two of you that helped me accept that my attack is only one small piece of the story that is me. For that I will always be grateful._

_When I said that I didn’t want to be known as the performer that survived a hate crime, you told me that I wasn’t being selfish, another thing I needed to hear. I am not ashamed of being gay and I will never hide the fact that I am, but this was different. This was about me having control of my image._

_However, you knew not going to court still bothered me and suggested I pick a different avenue to help the LGBT community._

_I hope you have been able to check out my YouTube Channel. I have had the idea for a while but it all just came together this past weekend. And hey, if videos of my performances keep showing up online anyway, might as well try to take some control and raise some money. All the money will go to my charity, although right now it doesn’t have a name other than Nonprofit #8672933._

_I want to explain how I came up with the idea for the charity (yes, I seriously need to think of a name!). I don’t remember if I told you this, but all I ever wanted was to be a “normal kid”. Yeah, I know, but that got me to Westerville and beaten into a coma. The police, the district attorneys, none of them put any effort into solving the crime. Then 3 years later I find the attackers. My uncle gets two of them to flip on the third (ok, maybe they didn’t need to know that part) and then my lawyer presents everything to them on a silver platter._

_Since he happened to be the former state’s attorney I guess they took a closer look at the case. At least long enough to see who my family was because suddenly “justice” couldn’t happen fast enough. Then when the high powered lawyers worked out a plea so everything would remain confidential, it took 2 weeks to have a sentencing hearing and send the assholes (sorry but it fits) to jail. 2 Weeks! I called it the best justice money could buy._

_Obviously, I was upset but it got me thinking. Maybe I was never meant to be what I believed a “normal kid” to be. Maybe my normal was to be an entitled rich boy with tons of influential connections…and use them to help others. The thing is, I’m not taking money for this from any of them. This is me. And my friends, of course. (Ok, I may have a sponsorship from the Ford Motor Company. My dad would not shut up!)_

_This is going to be the part you will find shocking. My idea for getting attorneys for students (especially LGBT students) facing bullying issues comes from what happened to Kurt. I KNOW…MIND BLOWN! Anyway, I always wondered why Burt didn’t hire an attorney and sue the district. There was never a formal hearing. Yes, Kurt had never filed a complaint against Karofsky but there was enough circumstantial evidence to cause further review._

_When I asked Burt recently he said he just hadn’t thought of it. He was more concerned about getting Kurt to a safe place. I’m hoping that students and families think of us before they feel like they have to run away. I once believed that was what I had done. That I had run away from my bullies. I know better now but that thought lead to some questionable decisions (like believing it was my responsibility to protect Kurt from his)._

_One other thing about the Channel. Julliard will livestream Friday’s concert on it and will be asking for donations for the charity at the concert! Ahhhh! I’m so excited! I hope I don’t pass out…or throw up…or forget the words…or trip…or oh my god, FART NEAR A MICROPHONE!_

_Ok, moment of crazy over._

_Well, I’ve delayed and deflected for as long as I could. (The pause you don’t see happening is me taking a deep breath) Why this email? By now you have heard that Burt Hummel resigned from Congress. I wanted you to know he has done none of the things he admitted to. Kurt was the one that told our former Head Master if he continually punished Sebastian (his name was withheld from the media) for what we call Slushie-gate (yes, where I needed surgery), he would get Burt to support him in his planned run for governor. There is more, but I’ve made my point._

_So again, why this email? I am going after Kurt. I plan on being brutal and using all the resources I have finally accepted are at my disposal. I am also going after those who helped him in any way._

_That includes Rachel._

_This is not me being a 5 year old tattling on my sister. In fact, I hope she has told you what she’s done but I’m pretty sure I would have received some form of communication from one of you if she had. At least I believe I would have._

_I almost stopped by when I was in Lima yesterday, but I didn’t have all the facts. At least I’ll keep telling myself that and not that I couldn’t man-up and face you._

_I will not apologize for what I am going to do, but I am sad that it will most likely cost me my relationship with the two of you. Thank you for everything._

_Blaine_

Leroy read the last portion of the email through tears. What had Rachel done? She introduced Sebastian as her new BFF only 10 days ago. Then he and Hiram had gone to LA with her and watched her sing back up on one of the songs Blaine recorded. For god’s sake, Blaine and Sebastian arranged for them to have dinner with Barbra Streisand!

Honestly, what Kurt did didn’t surprise him. But Rachel?

He finally took his eyes off the tablet when Hiram pulled it from his hands. He wanted to protest until he heard his husband say “Go pack you bags. Our plane leaves in 4 hours.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blaine would have told the Berrys everything about his case but I included it for review.
> 
> The email was much longer than I originally planned. I wanted it to read like a letter and sound like Blaine was speaking to them. Like on a television show when you hear the voice of the person that wrote the letter when it’s read. I also wanted it to be sad (heartbreaking?) where the first 2/3 shows the wonderful relationship the 3 of them built and the last 1/3 shows why it will never be that way again.
> 
> You’ll still be getting your “real” chapter later this week. I will tell you that two lingering questions will be answered. 
> 
> But I didn’t say I would tell you what questions *evil writer laugh*
> 
> Again, as always, thank you for reading.


	59. Remember Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine gets a huge offer. One that could change everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: I refer to a character as simple. It does not mean dumb but without frills. I think you’ll get it.
> 
> After finishing the chapter I realized my opinions on certain canon storylines are blatantly obvious. I understand I do that a lot. I also understand that if you didn’t agree at least a little you would have stopped reading by now. Please see the end note about one of my more “controversial” storylines.

Left out of last chapter’s review…Ooops!  
**Sam** met with **Shelby Cochran** (why not important now) and she told him that after last year’s Nationals, **Jesse St. James** saw **Will** having a discussion with **Carmen Thibodaux** and Will seemed upset when it was over.

 **Dirty Dozen:** 12 NYADA finalists who were either rejected the year prior, cut or have a special circumstance. “Winner” of auditions receives a full-ride scholarship but anyone “cut” can never apply again.

 **Blaine’s _Alpha Gay_** (Big/Wonderful/Over-the-top) **Moments:** I said they had ended. I forgot this one. **The Big One**. Double Ooops!

* * *

 

The car’s sudden stop brought Blaine back from his thoughts of the Berrys. He shut his laptop and returned it to his messenger bag before pulling out his phone. There were at least 30 texts which wasn’t surprising. Since none were from Sebastian, or Mike giving him an update on how Sebastian was doing, he was going to ignore them. However, one caught his attention and made him laugh. So simple yet so profound…just like the author.

_From Puck: WTF?!_

He sent off a quick response saying he had no idea why Burt resigned but they would have to talk later. He was on his way to NYADA and couldn’t be distracted.

“Hey, Dude, take your stuff.”

Ok, maybe he was a little distracted since he didn’t notice Sam was now in the car with him. “Thanks. Did you get everything?”

“Yeah, plus Mercedes put a bottle of hair product in there. She said she is thoroughly disappointed in you for not coming to her earlier about your styling problems.”

Blaine started to undress and change into the clothes Sam brought him. “I don’t have a styling problem. I have a humidity problem.”

“Keep telling yourself that but at least you didn’t bring out the gel helmet.” When Blaine didn’t even crack a smile, Sam knew there was a problem. “Get out of your head.”

“I’m not in my head, I’m trying to get into these pants. I still can’t believe I use to wear them this tight every day.”

“Liar. You're pissed off at what happened with Burt and you're more pissed off about how upset Seb is. You need to get your head in the game before we get to NYADA or I’m telling the driver to turn this fancy car around and take us back to Julliard.”

“Sam…”

“Blaine, you have a plan. A good plan, at least what you’ve shared with me. You want to avenge Seb? Make Kurt pay. Wolverine can’t come out and beat the shit out of him. Plus, you’re 18. He’d probably have you arrested and you definitely don’t need that.”

“Fine, point taken.” Blaine handed him the mirror that was in the bag and went about fixing his hair. “And I’m retiring Wolverine. He’s always going to be a part of me, and I’ll miss him, but it’s time to say goodbye. I need to start living life as a whole person and not parts fragilely woven together.”

He couldn’t make out what Sam was thinking then “Fucking finally! Finally, I can be me. I’m _Wolllverrinnnne_!” Blaine took back the mirror (and playfully smacked his friend’s leg) while Sam checked his phone. “Mercedes says she loves us both forever for including her in this and we won’t believe who Brody got to escort you to your meeting. Also, good call on arriving in the Town Car as people are already keeping an eye out for you…including two of your targets. And they’re together.”

“So much for Rachel not wanting anything to do with Kurt to prove to Bas she’s sorry. And it’s our meeting now.”

“No, first _you’re_ going to find out how you’re even a finalist and then _we’re_ going to find out why the hell I’m here.” Blaine actually knew, but there was no fun in ruining the surprise and he needed some fun in this day from hell. Sam looked out the tinted window and saw that they had arrived “If you see that Madame Thibodaux lady don’t forget to ask her what she was talking with Mr. Schue about that pissed him off.”

“Are we still trusting this even though it was Jesse St. James that gave the information to Shelby?”

“Yeah, and Kurt thought so too because how Mr. Schue treated you after. It was probably the one time Kurt didn’t lie about something all weekend. Remember, he was still trying to reconnect with his friends at the time. He didn’t throw his _Alpha Gay_ shit-fit until CallBacks.” Then remembering what happened in the aftermath of said shit-fit, Sam asked “Wait, you’ve got someone monitoring social media, right?”

Blaine gave him a _Seriously, do you really even know me at all_ glare and then effortlessly morphed into his charming, Acapella Dreamboat personality. “Ralphie’s got it, Sammy. No worries”

Sam agreed Blaine was well on his way to becoming what he called a whole person. He had pulled himself out of that deep dark place and was ready to take over the world. But Sam also knew that Blaine was one hell of an actor and could tap into the parts of that whole, like the Acapella Dreamboat and the former Wolverine, when necessary. This was going to be fun.

Halfway across the quad, Rachel was pressing her phone’s deny call _I’m in class_ option for the 5th time in the past 30 minutes. She had some idea why her dads were anxious to get in touch with her but she had a bigger problem at the moment.

“Why are Mercedes and Sam with Blaine?” Kurt grumbled. “He’s already got Brody with him. Now I’ll never get Blaine alone.”

Rachel looked at him like he had lost his mind and she wasn’t all that sure it wasn’t the truth. “First of all, I have no idea why Mercedes and Sam are here because neither of them is talking to me because of what I did for you. And Blaine is not going to talk to you, especially with what happened with your dad. Kurt, the only reason I’m talking to you is because Madame Thibodaux said I had to be your mentor.”

“Oh, get over it Rachel, but you’re right. You are my mentor and I have to win that full-ride scholarship. Let Blaine have his entrance. We need to head toward the Round Room and see if anyone knows why the Dirty Dozen meeting was postponed an hour.”

While the two of them headed in, Blaine was getting impatient. “So, where’s this escort that is supposed to make sure all of these people hanging around leave me alone?”

Brody smiled at Mercedes and then pointed behind where Blaine and Sam were standing. “Oh, she’s here.”

She? Both Blaine and Sam turned to see everyone moving out of the way of the rather small woman walking toward them. “Blaine, Sam, I would like to introduce Miss Cassie July” Brody said as Mercedes smiled like a Cheshire cat. She had heard Rachel’s stories about the former Broadway Diva turned dance instructor.

Cassie looked both of the boys up and down like they were a pair of ice cream cones and she couldn’t decide which one to lick first. Blaine wasn’t intimidated (Sam sure as hell was!). He took her hand and kissed the back of it, laying the charm on as thick as possible. “Miss July, I am honored you agreed to do this for me. Your reputation proceeds you but only in the best possible way, of course.”

“Well, you’re either charming as hell or full of shit. I haven’t decided.” Cassie paused long enough to shoot an evil eye to a girl who had been brave (or stupid) enough to approach their group. “But I like you.” Then she turned to Sam “And I really like you.”

“Sorry to interrupt…” No, she wasn’t but Mercedes suddenly felt the need to protect her ex “…but Blaine, your appointment is in 10 minutes and I have no idea where we’re going.”

“The Round Room is…”

Before Brody could finish, Cassie linked her arm with Blaine’s and started walking “Come along, Blainey. I’m dying to hear why everyone at NYADA finds you so fascinating.”

Mercedes followed close behind but Sam grasped Brody’s arm and held him back. “Dude, is that the teacher you slept with when you and Rachel broke up the first time?”

“We didn’t break up because we weren’t together, but yeah. I kind of did it on purpose.”

“Before I leave…you, me and a bottle of Jack Daniels. You’re 21, right?”

Brody liked Sam more and more every day “You’re on.”

_**The Front Cut: NYADA’s True Gossip Blog We don’t have to stab you in the back. We’ll say it to your face** _   
_**(1:30PM)@danz4life12: Blaine sighting! Arrived in Town Car with super hot blond guy. *photo attached** _  
_**(1:34PM)@sopranohigh: Today is Dirty Dozen orientation. Is he auditioning? What about Julliard?** _  
_**(1:36PM)@danz4life12: This is not a drill! Just saw Blaine walking arm-in-arm with CASSIE FUCKING JULY! *photo attached** _

****This site is currently off-line due to excessive volume. Please come back later.****

Cassie went back to teach her class as soon as Blaine was deposited in front of the Round Room doors. The hall was full of people, presumably the other Dirty Dozen finalists, but Cassie stared them down before she left. They seemed to have gotten the message. Moments later a woman came out and asked only Blaine and Brody to come in. Despite that, several people stepped forward but they were met with a hand signaling for them to stop.

“We apologize for the delay. The rest of you may wait in the mezzanine at the bottom of the stairs. I will come get you when we are ready to begin.”

While the other were left to speculate, Blaine was taking in the impressive auditorium. “So, this is the famous Round Room. Does it really have perfect acoustics?”

Brody walked over and picked up one of the guitars next to the piano. “Why don’t we see?”

“Brody…”

“Please. Blaine, I’m trying here but…but just for a couple of minutes can we be Tommy and Blaine again?”

Blaine took the guitar. He didn’t have to ask what song.

(Blaine) _I don't know you but I want you_  
_All the more for that_

(B and B) _Words fall through me and always fool me_  
_And I can't react_

(Blaine) _And games that never amount_  
_To more than they're meant_  
_Will play themselves out_

(B and B) _Take this sinking boat and point it home_  
_We've still got time_  
_Raise your hopeful voice, you have a choice_  
_You've made it now_

 _Falling slowly, eyes that know me_  
_And I can't go back_

It was at this point they noticed they were no longer alone and ended the song. “Mr. Anderson, Mr. Weston, that was quite remarkable. You’ve obviously sung together before.”

Carmen Tibideaux had a special way of paying you a compliment and scaring the crap out of you at the same time.

“Yes, Blaine and I have known each other for a long time. That’s why he asked for me to be his escort today” Brody explained as Blaine put the guitar back on it’s stand. “Um, I’m sorry if we overstepped but we were told to wait here…”

“Mr. Weston, you did not overstep and I told my assistant to have you wait here.”

Blaine looked at Brody for clarity but he didn’t have any either. “Madame Tibideaux, I’m certain you are aware that I am a Dirty Dozen finalist without applying to NYADA. I’m supposed to be meeting someone to tell me how that happened.”

“You are, Mr. Anderson. I am the person that chose you as a finalist and I am well aware that you did not apply. I was extremely disappointed.”

Huh? “I’m sorry, but you did this?”

Carmen strolled in her regal manner to the first row of chairs and took a seat. “You see Mr. Anderson, I have been aware of you since last school year. Did you know that several performances your friend Rachel Berry sent in for consideration were from your school play West Side Story?”

“No, I was not and Rachel Berry is my former friend” Blaine stated frankly and then thanked Brody for bringing over chairs for them. “Please excuse me if that was rude. Our falling out was recent.”

“I’m sorry to hear that but it puts a lot of thing I’ve heard recently into context. Back to the play, it was actually your performance of Tony that drew me in. Miss Berry did earn her audition but she was one of the final selections.”

Oh, that’s why Rachel’s letter came later. Blaine was going to ask why Kurt was selected considering his application was weaker in every category when Brody gave him a nudge and a glare of _FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO NOT INTERRUPT HER!_ So he didn’t.

“When I arrived for Miss Berry’s and Mr. Hummel’s auditions, I remembered you the instant I saw you. I had planned on speaking to you after but Miss Berry forgetting her words took away my attention. I was disappointed in myself but remembered you were Mr. Hummel’s boyfriend and that would give me another opportunity...I am assuming from your grimace that you and Mr. Hummel are no longer a couple.”

Brody tried not to laugh watching Blaine’s face contort as he choked back his true feelings. “No, Kurt and I had a less than amicable split months ago for the same reason I am no longer friends with Rachel.” Blaine silently congratulated himself for not sounding bitter. “Excuse me, but did you say that my being Kurt’s boyfriend gave you another chance to speak to me? How, since he was rejected?”

“At the time I had made the decision to accept Mr. Hummel.”

Huh? They were all surprised when Kurt received the rejection letter so to hear he had initially been accepted made an odd sort of sense while still being confusing. “May I ask what changed your mind?”

“You did.”

Oh, fuck! This was one of those out-of-body experiences where something was either really, really good or really, really bad. Blaine didn’t know which to hope for.

“When I saw your Glee Club onstage in Chicago you drew me in yet again, even though you were inexplicably underutilized. I told your advisor as much when he came to me asking about a job opening at NYADA.”

“That explains so much” Blaine said under his breath. All of Schuester’s shitty behavior toward him was because he felt Blaine cost him a job at NYADA? Son of a bitch! Oh yeah, Carmen’s still talking. He could hear Sam’s voice in his head yelling at him to _Get your_ _head back in the game_!

“Later that night when I thought back on the final number, Miss Berry’s performance was easy to remember since she was in the forefront but I had no memory of Mr. Hummel other than he was paired with you. So, I gave his spot to Miss Berry.”

Blaine knew he had that whole eyes popped/jaw dropped look going on but… _Holy! Fucking! Shit!_ This was Kurt’s worst _Alpha Gay_ nightmare even though it was totally Rachel’s fault. Hey, if she wouldn’t have nagged Carmen to come to Chicago in the first place…or what about Tina? She drove Rachel to see Carmen and then gave that big speech about how special Rachel was. So, this was at the most 33% his fault.

Six months, hell six days, earlier this information would have caused Blaine to feel guilty, but now…now…now he was practically giddy thinking of ways to let this little nugget slip. However, his original question still hadn’t been answered. “So, when you never got the chance to speak with me you just made me a finalist to get my attention?”

“Mr. Anderson, you have asked me a lot of questions. Let me ask you one. Why do you still want your audition slot in the Dirty Dozen?”

Thankfully, he anticipated this. “Madame Tibideaux, for some reason your students have developed an interest in me.”

“No, Mr. Anderson they are obsessed with you. Several NYADA blogs, both official and unofficial, have crashed since your arrival.”

“Oh. Wow.” Blaine watched Brody leave to check what was going on. There was no cell signal in the room and all internet was hard wired. “I want to audition to prove to your students, and myself, that I am deserving of that interest.” It wasn’t a lie, more like a half truth.

“Well, I’d like you to audition for a different reason.” Carmen reached for some papers she brought with her and handed them to Blaine. “What I am proposing is you enroll here at NYADA as well as Julliard and earn a joint degree. I have talked extensively with the administration at Julliard, including Mr. Barnes and as you can see we outlined a challenging but fair degree program for you. As I said, you captivated me as Tony in West Side Story and I can say the same about Teen Angel in Grease. Blaine, you are not only a musician and singer. You are also an actor, a performer, and you are not going to get everything you need focusing solely one part of your talent.”

For the first time she looked like a caring councilor and not a stern head mistress. What she was saying was insane, but it brought him back to what he said earlier about living life as a whole person. Could he be that if he ignored his love of acting? Would he be like Mike and in a year regret his decision to stick strictly to one discipline? If he was honest, the thing McKinley had over Dalton (besides Sugar and Sam, of course) was the yearly musical. “Julliard has a world-class theater program. I could take classes there.”

“True, but we believe NYADA is better suited for you in this case. While our courses are rigorous, our scheduling is flexible since many of our students work on Broadway while enrolled. Take the proposal and discuss it with your family and of course, Mr. Evans.”

“Oh, I asked to have Sam join me for my audition since he co-wrote the song I want to perform.”

“I’m sure that’s fine, but...”

Outside, those waiting were beginning to become restless. When the woman from earlier appeared at the top of the stairs there was almost a collective sigh of relief. That turned into a collective groan when the only people she took back with her were Sam and Mercedes.

“Rachel! What the hell if going on? Sam and Mercedes?” Kurt was almost hyperventilating, but to be fair, so were several others of those waiting. “Oh my god, do you think Blaine got Mercedes an audition since her show is moving to London? It seems like he gets his way with everything these days now that he has no problem throwing his money around.”

“How do you know about Mercedes show?” Great! Another potential landmine Kurt had put her in the middle of. Reluctantly, Rachel had to put the question on the back burner because a much larger landmine had just walked in the building.

Adam.

“You need to leave” Rachel hissed after she hurried to get his attention. Kurt’s posting about Adam and Blaine’s boyfriend holding hands at CallBacks had been the talk of the blogosphere. She didn’t need that drama brought up again considering she was the one to introduce Adam to Sebastian.

“No can do, Love” the Brit told her. “I have been summoned by the Grand Dame herself and when Madame Carmen Tibideaux tells you to jump, you ask how high.”

Rachel took a deep breath and tried to center herself before going back to Kurt, who was now on his phone. She had a sinking feeling this only meant more problems for her.

“Yes, I can be there tomorrow at 3PM…Do I need to bring my updated portfolio?...You want me to go to the main offices?...Yes, I will ask for Miss Martin…Thank you and thank Ms. Wright for me.” Kurt put his phone away and smiled for the first time in two days. Finally, something had gone his way. “That was Vogue. One of the secretaries called to say, and I’m quoting, _My friend Blaine_ _Anderson’s Godmother_ asked to change my appointment from Wednesday to tomorrow.”

For about .002 seconds she considered telling him the true identity of Blaine’s godmother but one gigantic roadblock put a halt to that…Santana Lopez. Blaine promised her months ago that she could be the one to reveal the truth. Rachel had no desire to find out if Santana actually would _Go all Lima Heights_ on her ass. It also helped that Kurt never gave her a chance to respond.

“This is perfect, Rach. Isabelle loved me. I’m sure I can get a job that pays with her. Then all I have to do is win that scholarship and I’m set.”

“I don’t know about this.” He couldn’t say she didn’t try to warn him. AGAIN!

“No, this will work. It has to.”

Kurt knew he sounded desperate but that’s exactly what he was.

When his dad told him he was taking the blame for what happened at Dalton so that his future wouldn’t be completely ruined, Kurt couldn’t believe it. But that was nothing compared to what came next.

His dad cut him off…completely.

After Kurt’s mom died, Burt took the insurance money and put it in a savings account for college. He said he would send Kurt that money in a lump sum but that was it. No tuition, no rent, no food, no phone…no trips back to Lima. If he wanted his belongings he’d have to pay to have them shipped. The only thing Burt said he would pay for was therapy because he _Obviously should have gotten_ _him some sooner_. Yes, his dad had warned him about causing problems while in New York. Technically, Finn, Rachel, Mercedes, Brittany, Sugar, Holly, Chandler, Carole, Cooper, Sebastian’s dad, Travis, Sam, Blaine AND his dad had warned him about causing problems in New York. However, when Blaine said there would be consequences he never imagined this.

It was one anonymous post. How the hell was he to know it could be traced?!

But he could fix it. He knew he could. He just needed three things…a job, that scholarship and Blaine. Yes, his ex was the key. Kurt knew Blaine would be at Vogue tomorrow for the photoshoot. Maybe Isabelle moving their appointment was a sign. Yeah, he would go with that.

Fifteen minutes later, those waiting were allowed into the Round Room. Adam greeted each finalist at the door with a strip of paper and a pencil which seemed odd but no one was about to ask. Kurt and Rachel found seats two rows back from Blaine, Brody, Sam and Mercedes. They were not the only ones that wondered why Blaine had more people with him than his mentor.

“Good afternoon and thank you for your patience” Carmen told the group once they were seated. “We have had a few interesting developments which will effect all of you and I wanted things handled in the fairest way possible. I am sure most, if not all, of you are aware of Mr. Anderson’s unique circumstance. He has chosen, which is his right, to claim his spot in the Dirty Dozen. He and I have come to an arrangement that I will share at a later time.”

None of the other finalists looked happy. Blaine didn’t care.

“The part that does concern you is since Mr. Anderson was not expected to audition, we have 13 finalists. A baker’s dozen if you will. Since there are slots for only 12 auditions on Thursday, I thought we would take care of this problem game show style. You were each given a slip of paper as you walked in. You have two minutes to choose a song and it cannot be your submitted audition piece. The song should tell me something about you and you must be able to defend your selection. Ladies and gentlemen, make sure I will remember you. When this is over, someone is going home.”

“Your time starts now.”

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised some answers (Blaine being a finalist/Why Will is acting like he does). I hope the payoff was worth the wait.
> 
> Falling Slowly: Bochnik, Robert; Doyle, Joseph; Hansard, Glen; MacConiomaire, Colm; Marketa, Irglova 2006 Based on Darren and Lea’s 2017 Elsie Fest performance.
> 
> In the endnote of Chapter 43 Busted, I gave a more detailed opinion of how I see the father/son dynamic between Burt and Kurt. I will not rehash but will give a reminder that I am basing this depiction off of Episode 6x12: 2009. That episode contradicted a lot of canon “bible” like Blaine telling a fellow Warbler that coming out to his parents was the best decision he ever made. Hello, rebuilding a car to make me straight ring any bells? Ok, rant over.
> 
> Story vs canon timeline check. Since Grease was before the trophy rescue, Blaine would have still been Teen Angel.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading.


	60. Tell Me How You Really Feel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian gets a visit from a person he never expected and Blaine moves forward with his plan to hurt those that hurt the boy he loves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Dirty Dozen are all singers to make it easier for me. I understand there would be different disciplines at NYADA so let’s all assume they have their own competitions for a scholarship.
> 
> Sections of the songs used were removed and replaced with text. Song lyrics are in italics.
> 
> Canon dialogue was used in this chapter. Please see previous chapters for disclaimer.
> 
> Warning: Talk of Depression
> 
> Reminder: In the review of OC’s in Chapter 58, I forgot to include Dr. Shepard’s first name which is Derek (yes, like Grey’s Anatomy with no h). Blaine fired him because he shared information with his parents without getting Blaine’s consent.

Sebastian sat in his comfy chair and stared out his bedroom window at the city. He loved it here. It was his third favorite place in the world after Paris and Blaine’s bedroom at the Motta’s. No, it wasn’t about sex. It was about how at peace he felt there and right now he was feeling anything but peaceful. The news Burt Hummel had taken the blame for Gayface (he refused to even think the bastard’s name again) had hit him hard. The son of a bitch got away with it. Months of dealing with the then Head Master’s vailed threats and then having Hunter as a quote/unquote babysitter and nothing. Nothing except a good (and innocent) man had his reputation shattered.

Mike had been great after Blaine showed them the news. He managed to calm Blaine down and convinced him to go to his NYADA meeting. Then he somehow made the Columbia tour enjoyable despite knowing that was the last place Sebastian wanted to be. When they were finished, he repeated his offer to help with Sebastian’s Computer Science Project but they both knew he wasn’t in the right frame of mind to work on it.

So instead, Mike went to check on Beat and Artie while Sebastian went to the Metropolitan Art Gallery to work on his other unfished Graduation Project…Art History. He had been secretly dragging it out, but in a good way. He loved everything about this project and for a couple of hours he was able to lose himself in the beauty of the Renaissance before finally heading home. On Wednesday when Blaine was in rehearsals all day, he planned to go back and see the Visitors to Versailles Exhibit. If he couldn’t go to Paris, Paris could come to him.

He was thinking of calling Trent when there was a knock. It was most likely Rosa and he wasn’t in the mood to have yet another discussion on whether or not he was eating dinner. “Go away. I’ll eat if I’m hungry” he yelled at the door.

“Ok, but I’d still like to come in.”

It wasn’t Rosa. Sebastian sprang out of the chair and opened the door. What the hell was Blaine’s ex-therapist doing here? “Dr. Shepard?”

Derek pointed at the chair and took Sebastian’s nod as a sign to sit there. “To answer the question you haven’t asked, Blaine knows I’m here.”

Sebastian sat on his bed and got settled with his back against the headboard and his arms wrapped around his bent legs. Yes, he knew what his body language symbolized but didn’t care. The guy was a shrink, he could figure it out. “I don’t understand. Last thing I knew you were fired.”

“I am but Blaine called me yesterday evening. Said he was on a plane back to New York and we had four hours to talk about what happened. I apologized, he apologized but trust was broken and that’s something a therapist/patient relationship cannot come back from. But according to Blaine, friends can talk whenever and about whatever as long as they keep what’s said to themselves.”

“So, you and B are friends?”

“He’s sending tickets for me and my husband to go to his concert on Friday. Alan’s excited. Hell, I’m excited. We’re turning this into a romantic three-day getaway. Did I answer your question?”

Sebastian began to fidget. Derek could see the internal struggle he was having and decided to let it happen. He had gotten to know Blaine’s boyfriend a bit over the past few months. Sebastian was a straight-shooter but the boy had a vice-grip on his emotions around everyone but Blaine. Although, he was fairly certain Blaine wasn’t getting through these days either.

“I didn’t like my therapist back in Westerville. I only went a couple of times and didn’t tell B I stopped. I’m guessing he knows since you’re here.”

“If he does he didn’t tell me. He did know I was here for a conference and asked if I could recommend someone in NYC for you to talk to. When I heard Burt Hummel resigned I understood why. You are aware I know all about the Slushie and what happened after?”

“I am and I’d like to talk to you but I can’t.”

“Can I ask why?”

“You’re Rachel Berry’s therapist.”

What did Rachel have to do with any of this? “I’m not her therapist. I wouldn’t take her on as a patient because of Blaine. We had some random sessions but I told her she should find someone in the city. The two of us were supposed to Skype later this week about her search but I had to cancel due to the conference.”

His response was enough to put a crack in the defenses Sebastian had built. A tiny crack, but it was a start. “Did B tell you about Tommy?”

“The boy he was attacked with? Sure.”

“Did he tell you Tommy is alive and is Rachel’s gigolo ex-boyfriend Brody that we can’t call names because Sam use to be a stripper?”

Derek tried to remain stoic. He closed his eyes. He took deep, cleansing breaths. In through the nose…out through the mouth. They didn’t work. “No fucking shit?!” Once again, he tried to collect himself but DAMN! “I want to be upfront with the fact I have a swearing problem. I can usually keep it under control and Blaine knew but…”

“B’s got the same problem so he didn’t care.” Sebastian wondered what Blaine would think of him seeing Dr. Shepard regularly but knowing his boyfriend that’s probably why he called the guy in the first place. “I don’t mind the swearing either. Actually, I’m kind of anxious to hear your response when I tell you right now B is with Tommy/Brody at NYADA and they are in the same room with Sam, our friend Mercedes, Rachel and Blaine’s ex who shall from this point forward be known as Gayface. Oh, I’m pretty sure the guy Gayface went online and insinuated I was cheating on B with is there too.”

“Ok, now you’re just making shit up.”

**NYADA**

Two minutes were faster than everyone expected. When they were over, the mentors took the song choices up front to arrange accompaniment with the piano player and guitarist Carmen made available. This gave the finalists time to either calm down or go into full-on panic mode while they mapped out their performances in their heads.

Sam brought out his phone prompting a reminder from Mercedes that there was no cell service or wireless in the room. “Crap. I wanted to check on Nichole since her parents are in town to talk about her dropping out.”

Mercedes saw Blaine roll his eyes and knew she had to do something. The boy may not be a true diva (yet!) but he was more of a handful than she anticipated. But come on, who better to handle an almost diva than full-fledged diva?

She almost hated to admit how much fun she was having being her former teammate’s quasi-manager.

“Sam Evans, it’s guys like you who prove chivalry isn’t dead. Why don’t you type out the text and send it when we leave? You know it’s going to get totally cray-cray when this is over.” To make her point she tilted her head toward a seething (and staring) Kurt. “Be sure to tell her you may not be able to answer right away. While you do that, Blaine and I are going to have a chat.” She didn’t give Blaine a chance to ask why as she grabbed his arm and pulled him out to the end of their aisle. “Why do you have a problem with Nichole liking Sam?”

“The fact she dumped Jeff because of it.” Blaine shook his head when he heard how wrong that sounded. “I didn’t mean it like that. I know Jeff is beginning to accept what happened but he’s still heartbroken. What happens if, or more likely when, he finds out the person Nichole has feelings for is Sam? He could give me an ultimatum and force me to choose between my Warbler brothers and the guy I believe saved my life. The life of the person I am today because I was so far into my depression I thought this me, my authentic self, was gone forever. I know I sound selfish…”

“Blaine Anderson there’s not a mean or selfish bone in your body.” When she pulled him into an embrace, a certain person’s grunt of frustration could be heard from the other side of the room. “Speaking of mean” she whispered as she now recognized how sound could carry throughout the room “I know you’re mad at Kurt, and you have every right to be, but don’t tell him what Madame Tibideaux told you about Rachel getting what was his slot. It’s…”

“Don’t worry, I don’t plan on telling him.” At least not now, he told himself. “But Mercedes, I am going after Kurt and the word I’ve been using to describe my plan is brutal. If you can’t handle that, it’s best you get out now.”

“Oh, no. I am 100% Team Blaine Warbler on this one. I…” They were interrupted by an unexpected (and unwanted) visitor. “Oh, hell to the no. You better take your British ass and get on up and away from my boy.”

Adam didn’t take the warning. “Blaine, I wanted to apologize to you and Sebastian…”

Blaine’s posturing let Mercedes know he would take care of Adam. “Lose my boyfriend’s phone number. If you don’t, and I find out you contacted him, you will be introduced to a term I call consequences. Ask your friend Rachel about them. She understands.”

There was nothing left to say as Carmen announced it was time to begin. Rachel was one of the first mentors back and Kurt pulled her down to her seat to get in a quick word. “What happened?”

“I gave the piece of paper to the pianist and told him the key and tempo you wanted the song in. When everyone was done, Madame Tibideaux pulled names from a bowl to determine the performance order. Don’t ask, you’ll find out when she wants you to.” Rachel snuck a peek at Brody talking with Blaine, Sam and Mercedes. She decided not to tell Kurt his theory about Mercedes auditioning was most likely true since Brody was the only mentor with two finalists. He would probably throw a fit or something else just as stupid…like choosing a song to get Blaine’s attention. Unfortunately, she was sure that ship had sailed. “I know your mentor isn’t supposed to ask what song you wrote down, but please tell me you didn’t chose _I Have Nothing_.”

“No, even though it worked like a charm when Blaine was jealous of Chandler. I can’t believe I didn’t think of this song sooner. Blaine will hear my words and know I love him more than the Meerkat or back-from-the dead whore ever could. It’s the absolute perfect set-up for when I sing _Blackbird_ on Thursday.”

“Kurt, don’t push it. I’ve told you 100 times, Madam Tibideaux will see right through any scheme you have to use these auditions as a way to get Blaine back.”

Carmen was now standing in front, ready to lay the final ground rules out for the finalists. “You must sing the song you submitted. There is no going back. It’s only fair to those finalists who go first. Names were drawn to determine the order of performance. When your name is called, come forward and check-in with your requested accompaniment or select an instrument if you choose to play yourself. I will ask for your story. Make it memorable. In fact, ingrain the word in your memory. Oh, and when I invited each of you I gave you a task…” She left the sentence incomplete and headed back to her seat. “Shall we begin.”

No one wanted to be first, but someone had to be and Rachel recognized her. “She’s the girl who was cut on my first day” Rachel whispered. When the girl finished with her introduction and began to sing, Rachel had to admit she was much better than before. She must have taken Carmen’s critique to heart and practiced, which was the task she had been assigned.

The next two finalists were Broadway focused singers who were each tasked with a different genre. The boy was tasked with traditional pop and sounded almost exactly like Michael Bublé but the girl ignored her task and sang _Popular_ from Wicked. Then...

“Sam Evans.”

“What?!” Kurt screeched out much louder than he should have.

“Mr. Hummel is there an issue?” Carmen was not pleased.

As Kurt stood, he couldn’t ignore the smug look on Blaine’s face but he didn’t care. Once Blaine heard his song he would think back to how getting into NYADA was the first step of their dream. “My apologies if that came out wrong. Sam lived with my family for over a year but never expressed any desire to come to NYADA. This is a pleasant surprise. Good luck, Sam.”

By this time, Sam had checked the tuning on the guitar he chose and was facing the others. “Mr. Evans, you appear to be ready.” It was more of a question. Carmen planned to allow Sam extra time to prepare if necessary.

But it wasn’t. “Yes, ma’am. I’m ready.”

“Very well, what was the task I assigned you?”

“Controlling my nerves” Sam said with a noticeable nervous giggle. It helped a bit when he looked at his friends and saw all of them giving him two thumbs up. “Guess I’m pretty much blowing it already.”

“No, Mr. Evans you are doing fine especially considering you found out about this less than an hour ago.” That got everyone’s attention but after the way Carmen had scowled at Kurt’s outburst no one was going to ask what she meant. “So, tell us why you chose this particular song.”

“You see, Ma’am, when I’m not playing music with Blaine or trying to find songs for Glee Club, I’m a country boy at heart. It’s the music I grew up listening to. A couple of years ago my family had some financial difficulties and like Kurt said I went to live with him and his family for a while. At night when I missed my family I would go to my room and play this song. It’s my mom’s favorite. So, yeah, you can add total momma’s boy as a reason I chose this song.”

As Sam began the opening chords, Mercedes leaned over to Blaine “You just lost some of your fangirls.”

 _It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart_  
_Without saying a word, you can light up the dark_  
_Try as I may I could never explain_  
_What I hear when you don't say a thing_

 _The smile on your face lets me know that you need me_  
_There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me_  
_The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall_  
_You say it best, when you say nothing at all_

Blaine wiped away tears as he let Sam’s voice wash over him. He was so proud of his friend. Carmen hadn’t lied when she said Sam found out about auditioning only an hour earlier. Mr. Barnes told her Julliard had come to the conclusion that Sam was an integral part of Blaine’s musical process and they were allowing him to audit any class Blaine was taking. Carmen decided to open NYADA to Sam as well, if he could prove himself individually. That was exactly what he was doing.

 _The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall_  
_You say it best, when you say nothing at all_

It took both Mercedes and Brody to prevent Blaine from giving Sam a standing ovation (which Brody assured him was inappropriate for this setting). After Sam finished the competition began to drag. Most of the other singers were good but two were bad, one was awful and one was downright appalling. There were also three that without a doubt would be in the running for the full-ride scholarship. An hour and a half later, they were finally down to two names…Kurt and Blaine.

“Blaine Anderson.”

He walked up to the front, turned around and immediately announced he was ready. “Mr. Anderson, is there a reason you don’t have accompaniment?” Carmen asked.

“I’ll be singing acapella today and will explain why as part of my story.”

“Very well, go ahead.”

“I am the co-captain of my Glee Club, the Dalton Academy Warblers. We are primarily an acapella group thus my choice to perform acapella today. I have many amazing friends but the Warblers are my brothers. When I was locked in an emotionally dark place, they brought me out with the help of music. They inspired my writing and pushed me to pick-up my instruments again after I sustained an injury to my hands.”

So what if the injury was self-inflicted. No one had to know that.

“They also entrusted me with song arrangements. When I was in that dark place, I was heartbroken because several of my favorite songs now had unpleasant memories attached. The Warblers encouraged me to rework those songs and make them my own.”

“And you’re singing one of these reworked songs today?”

“Sort of. Your task for me was to show a range of emotions, so I’m singing a mash-up of a reworked song and a song that reminds me of some close to my heart.”

“And how long did it take you to arrange this mash-up?”

“The two minutes you gave us to write our song choice on a piece of paper.”

There was grumbling from the audience but a glare from Carmen put a quick end to it. “This should be interesting. You may begin when ready.”

What Blaine said about the Warblers in general was specifically about Sebastian. Sebastian inspired the majority of the songs he wrote. Sebastian convinced him he could play his instruments again after he damaged his hands. Sebastian was the one that told him to reclaim Klaine songs. He knew he could have said that but it wasn’t fair to the other finalists to send Kurt into an all-out shit-fit. Plus, he wanted to drag this out with Kurt like the Head Master held Slushie-gate over Sebastian’s head for months.

“This is for you, my love” he said just loud enough those listening closely might hear and then closed his eyes.

 _Never knew, I could feel like this,_  
_Like I've never seen the sky before_  
_Want to vanish inside your kiss_

 _Seasons may change, winter to spring_  
_But I love you, until the end of time_

 _Come what may, Come what may_  
_I will love you, until my dying day_

If Rachel wasn’t so mesmerized by Blaine, she’d be worried about Kurt. He hadn’t moved, hadn’t blinked, since Blaine sang his first note. It wasn’t just because he was singing _Come What May_ , it was the way he was performing the song. Despite his eyes being closed, you could see through soft changes in his smile and slight movements of his head Blaine was imagining singing to the boy he loved. If that wasn’t enough, the subtle inflections in his voice sent chills down her spine and she was far from the only one affected this way.

Then Blaine opened his eyes and everything changed.

 _You cast a spell on me, spell on me_  
_You hit me like the sky fell on me, fell on me_  
_And I decided you look well on me, well on me_  
_So let's go somewhere no one else can see, you and me_

He was in full-on Sebastian mode, complete with the snarky smile, and blatant flirting. The female (and more than a few male) finalists…and mentors…and staff would blush in spite of themselves when Blaine gave them a wink or a flash of his 1000-watt smile.

 _The sun goes down_  
_The stars come out_  
_And all that counts_  
_Is here and now_  
_My universe will never be the same_  
_I'm glad you came_  
_I'm glad you came_  
_Oooo…_

As if he flipped a switch in his head, Blaine was back to standing still. Except this time, he left his naturally expressive eyes open and sang the ending with a swell of emotions even those from McKinley had never heard from him before.

 _Come what may_  
_Come what may_  
_I will love you_

_I will love you_

There was only a smattering of applause when he finished (Mercedes, Sam, Brody, Carmen and a few staff). Everyone else sat in a stunned silence and Blaine couldn’t have been happier.

That’s right bitches, I’m Blaine Fucking Anderson. Game on.

“That was extraordinary, Mr. Anderson. Thank you, you may have a seat.” Blaine gave Carmen a nod and headed back but wasn’t half way down the aisle when “Kurt Hummel.”

Kurt walked straight forward, ignoring Blaine as he passed. He knew his ex-boyfriend had tried to throw him off with his performance and it did…but not in the way he intended. The way Blaine sang _Come What May_ was exactly what Kurt imagined for their wedding,except they sang it as a duet. And while he used that Other Song as the mash-up, Blaine’s snarky, bad boy persona was one Kurt had grown to love. His head told him he shouldn’t but his body reacted in ways that told his head to shut up.

His dad had taken the blame for what happened at Dalton so his future wasn’t ruined. The best way to show him his sacrifice wasn’t in vain would be to live his dream of NYADA while having Blaine by his side. He had to win that scholarship.

Kurt checked-in with the pianist and then prepared himself to pour out his feelings in a manner only Blaine would truly understand.

Carmen had an uneasy feeling and her instincts were rarely wrong. Blaine’s revelation his split from Kurt had been messy was a surprise. She was usually made aware of these situations beforehand. To be fair, once Blaine was announced as The Future at Julliard no one at NYADA expected him to audition.

Why didn’t she change the order when she had the chance? “Mr. Hummel, may we have the story behind your song selection please.”

“I like romance. That's why I love Broadway musicals because the touch of the fingertips is as sexy as it gets” he said hoping Blaine would recall the last time he said those words. “I had a great love once. It was magical. We may have been young but he was the love of my life and I blew it. He was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“Mr. Hummel, I’m going to stop you there. You mentioned your love for Broadway musicals and I tasked you with no Broadway. Did you remember this when you selected your song?”

“Yes, Ma’am. I will be singing a song by Cold Play for you today.”

Oh shit! Mercedes grabbed Blaine’s sleeve and began to tug to get his attention. She knew there was no talking when a finalist was up front but she had to warn Blaine. “Back when you didn’t really cheat on Kurt, according to Rachel all he did for a week was watch _The_ _Notebook_ and listen to _The Scientist_. I know, I was shocked too. Anyway, she told me he focused on the line _Oh, take me back to the_ _start_ and would ramble on about either a dead bird or you grabbing his hand and the two of you running in slow-motion through the halls of Dalton.”

Blaine kept his response to an eye roll but was grateful for the heads up. When he put his focus back on Kurt it sounded as if he had missed at least half of his story. He hoped he didn’t miss anything important.

“So, if I had the chance, this is what I would sing to him.”

 _When you try your best but you don't succeed_  
_When you get what you want but not what you need_  
_When you feel so tired but you can't sleep_  
_Stuck in reverse_

 _And the tears come streaming down your face_  
_When you lose something you can't replace_  
_When you love someone but it goes to waste_  
_Could it be worse?_

 _Lights will guide you home_  
_And ignite your bones_  
_And I will try to fix you_

Brody and Sam stared at each other while Mercedes looked across the room at Rachel who mouthed “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.” Blaine never wavered. Then again, the Director of the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts offered him admittance to her school based on his acting abilities.

 _Tears stream down your face_  
_I promise you I will learn from all my mistakes_  
_Tears stream down your face_  
_And I…I…I…I,I_

 _Lights will guide you home_  
_And ignite your bones_  
_And I will try_

_To fix you_

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When You Say Nothing At All (Alison Krause version): Overstreet, Paul; Schlitz, Don 1998  
> Yes, Paul Overstreet is Chord’s father.
> 
> Come What May: Baerwald, David; Gilbert, Kevin 2001  
> Glad You Came: Drewett, Ed; Hector, Wayne; Mac, Steve 2011  
> I put these together because of how they fit in canon and not that they would work as an actual mash-up. Glee didn’t give me many Grant songs to choose from and the one that fit well (IMO) is storyboarded for another chapter.
> 
> Fix You: Berryman, Guy; Buckland, Jonathan; Champion, William; Martin, Christopher 2006
> 
> Kurt’s story contains dialogue from Episode 2x15 Sexy and Episode 6x01 Loser Like Me
> 
> Chapter 60! Wow! As always, thank you for reading.


	61. Where's the Popcorn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isn't that what you say before all hell breaks loose?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made it three weeks with my desired Friday posting schedule. Then this chapter happened and I posted nothing for three weeks. I’m sure you fellow writers out there understand. 
> 
> Review: There is a story review in Chapter 58. And because it’s been a while: Blaine and Cooper aren’t speaking due to Cooper not showing up to support Blaine at what he calls the Intervention (Chapter 45). 
> 
> Sebastian still refuses to call Kurt anything but Gayface.
> 
> BFI stands for the Brooklyn Film Institute (Artie’s canon college). For story purposes, this fictional school is THE top film school in the country.

Sebastian didn’t know why he was surprised when Blaine’s dad opened the apartment’s door “Good evening, Mr. A. Um, B sent me an invitation to come over.” Yes, an actual invitation…handwritten in calligraphy no less.

“Of course. Come in, Sebastian. He’s waiting for you on the rooftop.” Charles showed him in but something was obviously off. “Were you able to speak with your father?”

Ok, that explained a lot. Not long after Dr. Shepard left, Sebastian received a call from his dad informing him he was now representing Burt Hummel as he faces political corruption charges. His dad knew he wanted Gayface to pay for what he did, but once again he made decisions without taking Sebastian's opinions into consideration. “Yes, I spoke with my father and I know he is representing Mr. Hummel.”

“No…I mean, yes. I mean…”

Charles was saved by the appearance of his wife “Sebastian, sweetheart. How was your day at Columbia? Have you heard from the guys at Harvard? Oh, isn’t Wes’ sister, Nari, there as well? And do you know if Thad liked Yale? I worry about him being there all alone. And Blaine said Beat and Artie are ready to present their films at BFI tomorrow and you actually rehearsed with Mike today. Is he ready for his Tisch audition in the morning?”

That was one way to change the subject. “Columbia was Columbia but Mike was excited after our tour and he is more than ready for Tisch, although he admits he’d prefer Julliard. So, the rest in order…I have not heard from any of the guys but I don’t expect to until tomorrow evening…Yes, Nari is at Harvard but she’s also considering MIT…Thad wouldn’t be too alone. There are several former Warblers at Yale and Quinn Fabray from the New Directions comes into the city to see Santana and the other girls all the time. It's only a 90 minute train ride from New Haven.”

“What about Beat and Artie?”

“From what I heard, Artie is going to stay at Beat’s place tonight so they can prevent each other from trying to make any more changes to their films. They are both already in at BFI, this is for an advanced placement.” When he finished the rundown, Sebastian added “Mrs. A, I’m sure everyone will be touched you remembered where they’re at and what they’re doing, especially since you included both B’s Dalton and McKinley friends. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

He headed for the stairs, but Charles put his hand on Sebastian’s arm. “Before you go, I was trying to say earlier, when I asked about your father…” There was an uncomfortable pause. Pam began to step-in but Charles gave her a nod acknowledging he should be the one to say this. “Sebastian, I want to apologize. I had lunch with Sam and he told me you overheard us, your father and I, joking with the Berrys and Mrs. Nixon about what we believed to be the meaning behind the lyrics of _Let’s Hurt Tonight_. I called Xavier, did he say anything?”

“He might have wanted to when he told me the reason he’s in DC. I didn’t take it well and hung up on him.”

The look Blaine’s parents gave each other hinted there was definitely more going on with the Hummel situation than he had been led to believe. Charles could tell Sebastian was concerned but it wasn’t his place to say anything. “Well, I know your father was as mortified as I was when we were told why Blaine took the song off his concert set list. Please, forgive us.”

Pam stepped forward and gave Sebastian a hug. “Yes dear, please forgive those two insensitive idiots. I would love to hear Blaine and Sammy play that song on Friday. Now go…Blaine is waiting for you.” The Anderson’s smiled but when Sebastian finally headed upstairs, Pam turned to her husband “Charlie, that boy is about to blow.”

When Sebastian opened the door to the rooftop he could do nothing but smile. Everything he saw screamed _Blaine_. The double lounger had been moved to face the (Central) park and had a stack of pillows and blankets on it. There were candles everywhere although the sun had only begun to set and the firepit had been lit as well. The only thing missing was…

“Ummm, you always smell so good."

Sebastian’s smile grew ever wider as he felt his boyfriend's arms wrap around him. “I beg to differ. On more than one occasion you have bitched about the way I smell when I’m sweaty from lacrosse practice.”

“True, but I never complain when you’re sweaty for other reasons.” Blaine gave him a swat on the ass before coming around and leading him to the lounger. Sebastian took a seat but Blaine went behind the bar and poured what appeared to be champagne from a mini-bottle into flutes. “Don’t worry, it’s ginger ale. The last thing either of us need before the photoshoot is alcohol and if you’re as nervous as I am, you could use something to settle your stomach.”

Yeah, Sebastian had an astonishingly accurate BS meter and Blaine had just sent it spiking off the charts. “Rosa told you I didn’t eat dinner. Didn’t she?...This isn’t funny.”

Blaine walked over, handed him his drink then sat down and threw a blanket across their laps. “Vous avez beaucoup à apprendre ma jeune Padawan” he said as he clinked their glasses in a toast.

“B, I’ve told you a 1000 times, just because you’re speaking Star Wars talk in French doesn’t mean I’m going to suddenly understand what the hell you’re talking about. What does Padawan even mean?”

“Hey, at least you knew I made a Star Wars reference, that’s encouraging. And a Padawan is an apprentice to a Jedi. They have much to learn, as do you. You see, there is a new force in your life and her name is Rosa.”

“Rosa works for my sister.”

“Oh, my poor naïve one, it’s a good thing you’re handsome. Rosa is running the entire Smythe family and none of you have realized it yet. Think of Rosa as Yoda...”

“Small and hard to understand sometimes?”

“True, but also wise and able to use Jedi mind tricks to bend people’s will to her way. You wouldn’t eat at home so I got a call but only after she called all four of our parents and told them you and I were staying together tonight. Evidently, she scolded them on _bein’ a bunch of flip-floppin’ idiots, expectin’ them two boys to become a couple of blushin’ virgins all a’sudden-like_.”

“Wow, I love, hate and fear her all at the same time. I would have enjoyed seeing my parents’ faces…hell, I would have enjoyed seeing your parents’ faces. Oh, and the incredibly uncomfortable conversation I had with your dad makes more sense.”

“Nope, that particular conversation was courtesy of Sam’s lunch with my dad. Now, I know you had a big salad at lunch and I had an early dinner with Mercedes, David and Wes, so neither of us are actually hungry but…” Blaine reached down and brought up a gift bag.

“Lounge pants and a sweatshirt? What do these have to do with food?”

“I’m going to pop popcorn while you get comfortable.”

“Popcorn? Why popcorn?”

“You know how people say _Where’s the popcorn_ when all hell’s about to break loose?”

“Yeah?”

“Ready to hear about my afternoon at NYADA?”

It didn’t take long to change so Blaine was still making popcorn when he came back. Sebastian settled onto the lounge and found Blaine’s tablet opened to the official NYADA home page. He took the hint and read the cued article. “Holy Shit! I can’t believe she cut that many people. What the hell happened?”

“Is that all you noticed?” Blaine asked as he joined him on the lounge with the promised popcorn.

“You mean Gayface actually made the cut and you are not a finalist but a guest performer?”

“I think you should read it again. A little more carefully this time.”

 _From the Office of Carmen Tibideaux_  
_Re: Changes to Dirty Dozen auditions (Vocal)_

_Through a series of unforeseen circumstances, this year’s vocal Dirty Dozen wound up with 13 finalists so today a preliminary audition was held. While my goal was to reduce the number to 12, I chose only 6 to participate on Thursday. I will give further explanation of my decision after all auditions are complete._

_ Vocal Finalists in Order of Performance _  
_Myron Thomas_  
_Kurt Hummel_  
_Rebecca Kent_  
_Beatrice McClaine_  
_Trevor Black_  
_Samuel Evans_

_Guest Performer_   
_Blaine Anderson_

_Seating is limited. Tickets are $25 and will be available through the NYADA campus store beginning at 9AM Tuesday. All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to Mr. Anderson’s non-profit organization to assist bullied youth._

_Per NYADA rules, recording/photographing of any audition is strictly prohibited._

He reread the announcement two more times. Something was off but he couldn’t…“Hold on…What the fuck? This can’t be him. Right? There’s got to be two guys named…”

“Samuel Evans?” Blaine finished for him with an all-knowing grin across his face. “Well, I’m sure there is more than one guy in the world named Samuel Evans, but that’s our Sammy.”

Sebastian turned to face Blaine and grabbed the bowl of popcorn. “I’m ready…start talking.”

After a quick agreement that Sebastian would let Blaine finish and then ask questions, Blaine started with his arrival. He made it through Cassie July…Carmen signing him up as a finalist because she had remembered him as Tony from Rachel’s audition tape and his minor performance at Nationals…Kurt being accepted and then losing his spot to Rachel…Carmen’s run-in with Schuester and telling him not to bother applying for the NYADA job…

This was the point Sebastian had to say something. Blaine was quite impressed he had made it that far.

“Schuester’s been acting like a total bitch all of these months because Carmen Tibideaux told him he was a no-talent hack who was beyond lucky he won Nationals? I could have told him that. I’m pretty fucking sure I have told him that. I mean once the New Directions got their shit together last year you were talented enough to win, obviously, but that was _in spite_ of him not _because_ of him. What are you going to do with this tidbit of info?”

Blaine took the popcorn away and put it on the side table. “I told Cooper.”

“Ok, now I see why you took the popcorn away because…” Sebastian didn’t know if he was surprised Blaine talked to Cooper or if he was on NYADA overload but one of them sparked his inner drama queen “WTF, B? You spoke to Cooper? The brother you haven’t spoken to in almost 2 weeks? The brother who implied he thought you had brain damage while your parents thought you were either having some sort of mental breakdown or genius musical breakthrough?” He paused to catch his breath and when he finished, level-headed Sebastian had returned. “Although, I honestly believe you’re overthinking what Cooper meant to say.”

“Yes, I spoke to Cooper but only for us, well me, to call a truce and promise to work this out once we’re all back in Ohio. Actually, Cooper is back in Lima to take care of some business and that’s why I told him. Bas, when what’s happening with Sam gets back to Schuester he’s going to flip. Even though there’s no glee practice this week…”

“He’s still teaching and the New New Directions are sitting ducks for any shit-fit he decides to throw.”

“Especially Sugar.”

The mention of his cousin’s name caused Blaine’s entire demeanor to change. Sebastian pulled him into his arms and laid back to where Blaine was cuddled into his side, head on his chest. “Did you talk to her today?”

“No” Blaine sighed as one of the tears he was holding back managed to escape. “She’s so mad at me, Bas.”

“Hey, she loves you. No, your sweet-baby cousin worships the ground you sing on. Sugar just needs time to understand why you didn’t tell anyone about Brody.”

“I know, and I know it’s easier for people to be pissed at me than the guy who disappeared for over three years. It’s not like he begged me to keep secret the fact he was in New York, using a different name and oh, was alive…wait, he did. But yeah, totally my fault.” Blaine stiffened and internally berated himself. He needed Brody for his Kurt plan to work. “Anyway, Cooper’s going to handle Schuester if necessary, at least for now.”

Sebastian switched their bodies around to where he was staring down at Blaine. “Not so fast, Anderson. You did nothing wrong and your family has no right to be on their high-horses about you not saying anything when none of them have said a word to Brody about the attackers being caught. I still can’t believe it got tried so fast and has been kept out of the papers for so long.”

“Again, my fault since I’m insisting I be the one to tell him and remember Sugar doesn’t know. Hell, she doesn’t know 99% of what happened and it’s staying that way.”

“When are you telling him?”

“Tomorrow evening after rehearsal at Julliard. Are you still ok with my using _Who Knew_ to tell him?” Sebastian answered by leaning down and kissing him. What began as soft and sweet quickly turned into something more. “Bas” Blaine groaned, not believing he was about to say “We can do this now…and I am all for doing this now, but we won’t have time to get back to what happened at NYADA. We need sleep and the car is picking us up at 5AM to take us to Vogue.”

“Fine!” Sebastian reached over for the almost-forgotten popcorn. This time he cuddled into Blaine and put the bowl where they both could reach. “Ok, what happened next?”

As Blaine picked up the story, he made a mental bet with himself on where Sebastian would stop him again. There were questions in Sebastian’s eyes when he told him Carmen proposed a joint Julliard/NYADA program and he attend NYADA as a theater major…but not a peep. There was no protest when he wouldn't give any details about Sam being a finalist because it was Sam's story to tell. Nothing else got a rise out of him until Kurt’s outburst when Sam’s name was called…but it was barely a snicker so Blaine kept going. There was only a smile for the stories of Sam’s and then Blaine’s auditions (Somehow, he got away without mentioning his mash-up songs. Bonus!). Then came Kurt’s audition and as predicted…

Let’s just say it was a good thing the popcorn was gone because it would have went flying.

Sebastian was up and off the lounge, pacing but occasionally stopping as if he wanted to say something only couldn’t find a way to form actual words...kind of like a fish out of water. Then, after what was probably a much shorter time period than it felt like “Are you fucking kidding me?! That son of a bitch sang _Fix You_ …to YOU?! And Tibideaux let it happen?!” Blaine doubling over in laughter was not the response Sebastian expected. “This isn’t funny, Blaine!”

“Woah, steady now, no need to call me Blaine. I’m sorry but the only thought running through my head as you were yelling was whether or not the people across the street in Central Park could hear you?” He patted the space next to him, inviting Sebastian to come back, which he did. This time they laid the lounge back a bit so they could lay on their sides and face each other. “So, you were as shocked as Mercedes and I were about Kurt’s Cold Play guilty pleasure?” Blaine joked, trying to lighten the mood.

“Not funny.”

Ok, try again. “Yes, it was. Want to know what makes it funnier?”

“Enlighten me.”

“Mercedes and Sam didn’t get it because she had left for the TroubleTones and he was still in Kentucky, but Rachel got it and screamed, and I mean SCREAMED at Kurt when Carmen dismissed us.”

“I’m assuming there’s a point to this. You were the one concerned about the amount of sleep we should have.”

Better. “Not long after I transferred to McKinley, something was going on with the then-Miss Pillsbury and Schuester asked the New Directions to back him up as he sang the song. You know, help him work through whatever was wrong.”

“And?”

“It was 2 hours after Artie posted the cast list for _West Side Story_.”

“Holy shit! Does everything relate back to that damn play?”

“Seems like it. We should make it a game like Seven Degrees of Kevin Bacon. Um…the Fall of the Holy Roman Empire to McKinley High School’s production of _West Side Story_. Go!”

“Again, not funny.” Although this time there was a slight chuckle behind Sebastian’s protest.

“Again, yes it was.” Blaine leaned in and gave Sebastian a kiss, quick and bodies remaining fully separated. _Aftereffects_ of their earlier kissing had not totally dissipated. “Bas, when Kurt sang _Fix You_ all it did was piss me off, reminding me of all the fits he threw when he didn’t get the part. Not that he was ever man enough to do it to my face but remember, his whining to Finn on how I got Tony set in motion Finn’s whole _Let’s make sure Blaine knows his place_ campaign.”

“Ok, so what happened next?”

“Well, my love, that’s when things got interesting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been asked on a couple of occasions to private message on a comment and I would if I could figure out how to do it. Help anyone? You will be my best friend and I will give you many praises.
> 
> Blaine's "Star Wars Talk": You have much to learn my young Padawan (Microsoft Translator). A wonderful reader volunteered to be my go-to French person but I couldn't figure out how to message (notice a theme?). I understand it is probably obvious how to do this but...yeah, feel free to mock me.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading.


	62. Where's the Popcorn, Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Blaine finishes telling Sebastian about his day at NYADA he rethinks an earlier decision. It winds up to be exactly what Sebastian had been missing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part I had Blaine reviewing his day at NYADA but it was not new information. This picks up after Kurt sings Fix You. Sebastian will continue to interrupt, but since the flashback is the majority of text it will remain in standard font and the interruptions will be in bold italics. I felt it worked better than the “break in flashback/back to flashback” stops and starts I originally used.
> 
> This chapter is rated M as it went off in a direction I didn’t anticipate but I am happy it did.

_“Well, my love, that’s when things got interesting.”_

** Flashback, NYADA Preliminary Auditions **

Kurt finished his performance and earned an uneasy applause. NYADA blogs had enough information during the weekend for every student…studying any form of performance arts…at any school in NYC…and probably beyond to know Kurt was Blaine’s ex. So, for him to drone on and on in regards to how he lost the love of his life and then sing _Fix You_ while never taking his eyes off Blaine? Those in the audience were in a silent disagreement on whether he was incredibly brave or incredibly stupid. The expression on Carmen’s face strongly supported choice number two though Kurt didn’t seem to notice as he scurried back to his seat.

“Rachel, did you see Blaine?” his whisper unable to mask the high pitch of excitement. “He had the face. THE FACE!”

“Oh, Kurt…” Rachel wasn’t given the chance to finish but since Kurt had sailed off to Delusional Land it was probably for the best.

All other side conversations ended as well since everyone was anxious to hear what Carmen had to say. “Mr. Crawford, Mr. Weston, Miss Berry, Mr. Anderson, Mr. Evans and Mr. Hummel stay. Everyone else, you will find the amended list of finalists on the official NYADA website in 2 hours. I want to remind everyone all cuts are final. Any attempts to reapply to NYADA will not be honored. I expect to see mentors of the remaining finalists in my office at 10AM.”

From just the glare Carmen had cast across the room, those not specifically named knew it was time to leave…including Mercedes. She stood and grabbed a small notebook and pen from her purse and thrust them at Blaine. “Make a list of what you need me to do…”

“Mercedes, you should go. I’ve already taken…”

“Shut up and start writing. And before you give me your phone, make sure I won’t come across pictures of you and your man-candy in any interesting scenarios. On the other hand, maybe make sure I _will_ come across…”

_**I cannot believe she went there. Didn’t she and David first meet as kids in church?** _

_**LA and living with Santana loosened her up a bit. But Bas, she was only trying to give Brody a not-so-subtle reminder I’m taken. (Blaine’s smile changes from bashful schoolboy to Cheshire Cat) And I was smart enough to download all our favorite photos from our little side trip to Vegas before we ever left the hotel** _

With everyone else gone, Carmen wasted no time getting to the point. “Mr. Anderson, I am giving you the choice. Is Mr. Hummel cut or not?”

“What?! Why the hell are you letting Blaine decide?” Kurt yelled, then slapped his hand over his mouth realizing the mistake he made.

“Mr. Hummel!” Brody, Rachel and Adam exchanged wide-eyed glances as none of them had ever seen _The Carmen Tibideaux_ lose her temper. “While vocally I have no concerns moving you forward, your blatant attempt to sing to Mr. Anderson was highly unprofessional.” The unmistakable anger in her voice was shocking. “Mr. Anderson shared with me your split was acrimonious at best.”

To everyone’s but Sam’s surprise “I have no issues with Kurt remaining in the audition process as long as this incident is taken into consideration when awarding the full-ride scholarship.”

“Are you sure, Mr. Anderson?” When Blaine nodded Carmen accepted his decision and got ready to move on, but not before adding “If that is your decision, I will honor it. However, Mr. Hummel, if you pull the same stunt at Thursday’s audition, I will not let you complete your song before I have you removed from campus permanently. Understand?”

When Kurt didn’t answer, Rachel kicked him. “Ouch…Oh, I’m sorry. Yes, ma’am I understand.”

_**Ok, I know it’s probably part of your whole evil master plan, but if the goal is to stick-it to Gayface…** _

_**Why did I tell Carmen not to cut him?** _

_**Well, yeah.** _

_**Because I didn’t want him to be able to blame Carmen. This is all me, Baby.** _

_**(Sebastian starts to lean in for a kiss then pulls back) How much more is there because I don’t think I can restrain myself much longer?** _

_**Depends on how many more times you interrupt…somewhere between 5 and 30 minutes** _

_**(grumbling) Fine, this better be good** _

“Mr. Anderson, Mr. Evans, I would like the two of you to work with Mr. Crawford to arrange your accompaniment as soon as possible.”

“I’m sorry, ma’am but that’s not possible. I’m sure Brody can make the arrangements.”

Carmen found Sam’s (polite) boldness refreshing “Is there a problem, Mr. Evans?”

“Yes, ma’am. I wish I could think of a better way to say this but Adam spent the weekend trying to get into Blaine’s boyfriend’s pants. He didn’t respect Blaine and Sebastian’s relationship so I don’t respect him.”

_**Holy Shit!** _

_**Bas…** _

_**Sorry** _

Carmen agreed to Brody coordinating Sam and Blaine’s arrangements then practically commanded Adam to follow her back to her office. The moment they were gone Rachel started in on Kurt “I told you not to sing to Blaine! I told you Madame Tibideaux would know exactly what you were doing! And _Fix You_? Did you lose your fucking mind? Don't you remember when we sang that song in Glee? Huh, Kurt? Because I’ll bet you $1000 Blaine does!”

“I don’t remember singing _Fix You_ in Glee” Sam said but it almost sounded like a question. Rachel and Kurt turned to see him, Blaine and Brody watching them. Rachel had obviously spaced on how voices traveled in the room.

“You weren’t back at McKinley yet.” Blaine stared directly at Kurt to see if any lightbulbs had gone on…but sadly, no. “Sammy, why don’t you get going? I know you wanted to check on Nichole and the first people outside of this room, or read the NYADA blogs, to hear your news should be your family.”

“Are you sure?”

“Mercedes and I are meeting David and Wes after this. Remember? Go, but I want a full report on the Evans' family freak-out, especially Stevie's.”

Brody could tell Blaine wanted to handle Kurt, and probably Rachel, on his own for some reason. “Hey, let me go with you. Even though the auditions weren’t recorded, Blaine’s probably right about the blogs.” A teasing grin spread across his face, one Blaine had seen all too often when they were younger. “Cassie seemed to like you…a lot. I’m sure she won’t mind coming back to protect you.”

“Not funny, Dude” but Sam’s laughter gave away he thought it was. The rapport between them surprised Kurt and Rachel but had Blaine wondering if this burgeoning friendship would be an issue for him. He respected Sam’s friendship with Finn, but he disliked Finn 99% of the time and his feelings for Brody were complicated to say the least.

As the two started to leave, Rachel reached out and grabbed Brody’s arm “We’re still having dinner tonight, aren’t we?”

“You still want to have dinner? I thought we were clearing the air because of you being Sebastian’s best New York friend and as far as I know that’s no longer the case.”

It was Blaine’s turn to grab Brody’s arm but to pull him away. “Take her out and tell her everything. I may be pissed at her but you owe Rachel the truth.”

“Blaine…”

“Not everything, Dumbass.” Blaine cringed for calling Brody by his nickname for Tommy. It didn’t go unnoticed by Brody either. “There’s no reason to tell her why you are in hiding from your parents.”

“Glad you think so because that was never going to happen” Brody snapped but instantly regretted it. “I’m sorry, Boy Wonder.”

_**Boy Wonder? Seriously?** _

_**Oh, Bas. You were doing so well** _

_**(grumbling) Don’t be surprised if I (air quotes) accidently slip and call him Dumbass** _

Blaine didn’t want to smile at his nickname, but it didn’t stop him from doing so. “I’ll let Boy Wonder slide this one time but only because I called you Dumbass.” Out of the corner of his eye, Blaine saw Sam visually pleading to be rescued from Kurt and Rachel. “You need to save Sam. Can you trust me for now and just go with what I say?”

“Of course. And Blaine, you’re right about telling Rachel.” Blaine gave him a nod then went back to the group as Brody called out “Come on, Sam. Let’s go see how crazy it is out there.”

A wink from his best friend let Sam know it was what he wanted. That and “Hey Brody, Mercedes has my phone. Ask her to find the number marked Bibbi’s office and have her assistant make a reservation for you. My treat.”

Yeah, Sam knew exactly where Blaine was going with his offer. “Dude, he’s buying and you know dropping his godmother’s name will get you in anywhere. Pick somewhere expensive.”

Sam had set him up perfectly. Blaine began to wonder if his so-called physic connection with Santana had expanded to Sam. They were always in sync musically, but this was new. Although, he was pretty sure Sam didn't have a psychic Mexican third-eye. “I’ll see you in the morning at Vogue. Santana said we were in the first scenario together.”

“Yeah, the bad boy boyfriend shot” Sam sighed, trying to sound sad but obviously hiding something. “It has to be first because after that they’re cutting my hair.”

Blaine gave him a hug of mocked support, then Sam headed out with Brody. “I hope that was ok, Rachel” Blaine said as he turned his focus back to his ex and his ex’s (former?) BFF.

“Yes, but I don’t know if I’m dressed appropriately.” Thankfully, she was dressed for the auditions and not dance class.

“You’re fine. Kurt, if you’d excuse us I have something I’d like to discuss with Rachel.”

Kurt folded his arms across himself and Blaine rolled his eyes in preparation for the bitch-fit he knew was coming. “Don’t you roll your eyes at me, Blaine Anderson. How could you tell Carmen Tibideaux we had an acrimonious break-up when the entire reason we’re not together just left?”

Huh? “What the hell does Sam have to do with our break-up? Is it because he released me from my promise to stay at McKinley and I was at Dalton when you were ready to accept my apologies? Oh yeah, Santana told me the shit you said at Sectionals about how you thought I’d be waiting around for whenever you felt magnanimous enough to speak to me…” Then it all became perfectly clear. “Damn, how could I be so stupid? This has nothing to do with Sam. This is about Brody being Eli, the guy you thought I cheated on you with.”

“Well, maybe you didn’t technically cheat but you were lying for him.”

Sam’s phrase of _Keep your head in the game_ played on a loop in his mind. There was a plan for when he would give Kurt his final consequences and this wasn’t it. “Listen Kurt, I don’t have time to deal with your shit and frankly if I did I wouldn’t waste it on a guy who would let his father become a national disgrace for something he did.”

“You don’t know what happened and don’t you dare talk about my dad like that. He was always good to you unlike your own father. Convenient how forgiving you became when he started buying your love.”

The smirk that spread across Blaine’s face would have made both Sebastian and Santana envious. “Oh, you want to go there?”

Blaine reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a familiar looking tape recorder causing Kurt to throw up his arms in frustration. “Are fucking you kidding me? You’re bringing up the tape again…Now! Ok, whatever. I’m sorry, Blaine. I never should have given the Meerkat back the tape without asking you. There…are you happy?”

“Are you done?” Blaine asked but didn’t wait for an answer before he pressed play. Kurt and Rachel were confused when they heard Blaine’s voice on the tape. Kurt looked as if he would pee on himself when he realized who Blaine was talking to.

 _Blaine: What do Kurt and Burt Hummel have to do with what you and your uncle tried to get away with at Dalton, especially how it concerns Sebastian?_  
_Hunter: The Congressman had nothing to do with anything that went down at Dalton except for providing the seed for the evil spawn._  
_Blaine: Kurt?_  
_Hunter: Yes, Kurt. Before I tell you what his part in this was/technically is, you’re going to want to ask your third question. After you hear what I have to say about Hummel you’re not going to give a shit about anything else._

“Do you want to hear Hunter tell me about your undying love for the person you called Meerkat?” Kurt opened his mouth but Blaine paid him no attention and turned to Rachel “Listen, you didn’t deserve what Brody did to you and he plans on telling you what happened. But Rachel, he’s not going to tell you why so if you can’t accept that cancel the dinner now.”

“I won’t ask. I promise, but Blaine…” Rachel took a deep breath knowing she was about to push things with him. “Finn had no part in what either Kurt or I have done. He even told me he thought my having Bastian…”

“Don’t. Say. Another. Word.” Blaine spat at her, causing both Rachel and Kurt to step back. They had seen Blaine angry a few times lately, but nothing like this. “And Finn is fine as far as I know. I owed someone a favor.”

“Blaine?” It was Mercedes who had come back to get him. Her timing was impeccable. “Sam’s gone, Brody went to find some guys he knows to accompany you and Sam on Thursday and the car service will be out front in 10 minutes. Cassie put word out that if anyone came near you there’d be hell to pay so let’s go.”

“Thank you, Mercedes. I had nothing left to say anyway.” Blaine put the recorder back in his jacket pocket and realized he had forgotten something. “Well, maybe one more.” He handed Kurt the document he found “That’s a copy of the confidentiality agreement everyone signed at my family’s apartment yesterday morning, including the two of you. Kurt, if you say or post anything about Bas, Sam, Brody or anyone else covered by that document, getting into NYADA will be the least of your worries. Oh, and Rachel, say hi to your dads for me.”

** End of Flashback **

“And Mercedes and I left to go have dinner with Wes and David.”

“Mercedes wound up being more helpful than you anticipated, didn’t she?”

“Oh my god, Bas! You think I have OCD when it comes to organizing a schedule? Mercedes could teach master classes. I don’t know how I never knew this…probably because she was always late to Booty Camp. She’s coming to the shoot in the morning.”

“What’s she going to do about the show moving to London?”

“If I had to guess I’d say she’s staying. Effie was too big to ignore but Broadway isn’t her dream, so I don’t see the West End in her future.” Blaine leaned in and gave Sebastian the kiss they had been holding back but didn’t get too carried away…at least not yet. “Now, I have two questions for you.”

Sebastian lifted his eyebrow, questioning the sudden change in topic. “Ok?”

“Number 1, would you like to sleep downstairs in my insanely comfortable bed or would you like to sleep out here? We have blankets, pillows, heaters…extra sleepwear and boxer briefs if necessary.”

“If that’s the case then my answer is I’m way too comfortable to move. What’s the second question?”

“Why didn’t you ask what songs I used for my mash-up?”

“I don’t know. B? What songs did you use in your mash-up?”

“ _Come What May_ and _Glad You Came_.” Blaine wished he would have been able to get a picture of Sebastian’s expression. It was pretty funny.

“Those two songs? Together? I mean you obviously made them work somehow. Did you change the tempo of _Glad You Came_?”

“Nope. I even did some of your dance moves from last year’s Regionals. And _Come What May_ …” Blaine scooted closer but made sure they didn’t touch “I’m not going to lie and say there’s not some Klaine connection to the song but that’s Kurt’s issue not mine. I thought of the song because I have been working on something. I had hoped to have it ready for when we went to Las Vegas and saw the fake Eiffel Tower but it wasn’t quite perfect.”

“And now it is?”

“I think so.” And then after a slight pause he asked “Would you like your surprise?”

Sebastian’s body immediately reacted to the change in tone of Blaine’s voice but watching his eyes darken took his breath (and ability to speak) away. Oh shit! I’m in so much trouble! Sebastian told himself as he remembered they were outside. They hadn’t practiced silent sex in a long time and his boyfriend seemed to have every intension of testing his limits.

“Bas, you haven’t answered me.”

This time there was a change to the tone. Not anger, but definite agitation and F…U…C…K if it wasn’t 10 times hotter than before. “Please” he managed to squeak out. They hadn’t done something like this is so long. He had to quickly remind himself in times like this he was supposed to wait for Blaine’s permission to come. Blaine gently brushing the back of his hand across his cheek almost did him in but he was a good boy.

Blaine’s hand continued down his body, but the gentle touch never intensified. “I’ve been thinking back to the first night we were like this. You know, right after the fight when I knocked out Hunter.”

Sebastian was so caught up in the memory of sweaty Blaine in only his skin-tight ¾ length sweatpants, he didn’t notice Blaine had managed to remove both of their shirts until he felt a pinch on his right nipple. “I remember” he groaned. “You made me come so hard, so fast, and you never touched my cock.”

“You were so beautiful when you came. I want to see your face like that again. Make you come harder, faster.”

The way Blaine said those words nearly sent Sebastian over the edge. “B…please, let me come now. I don’t think…”

“Oh, I think you can.” It was amazing how those 5 words prevented Sebastian’s orgasm better than any device they could have bought from Jerimiah. “Plus, don’t you want you surprise, Beautiful?”

“Yes, please Si…B.”

Blaine had them both completely undressed in less than a minute. He could see Sebastian struggling to control his body but he could also see how much pleasure it was giving him. When they were in Las Vegas, Blaine brought up the fact that sex life was a little (to put it mildly) intense especially with what happened Valentine’s Day. But seeing Sebastian like this, any doubts or fears he might have had were gone. This was as much a part of their lives as being co-captains of the Warblers.

He just hoped Sebastian liked his surprise.

 _Je n'ai jamais su que je pourrais me sentir ainsi_  
_Comme si je n'avais jamais vu le ciel auparavant_

Sebastian’s eyes had been closed to help him remain in control, but they flew open when he heard Blaine sing _Come What May_ in French while keeping the same tone to his voice as he had been speaking in. That last part, singing while maintaining their special, specific tone had to be the surprise Blaine had promised.

 _Advienne que pourra_  
_Advienne que pourra_  
_Je t'aimerai_

By this time Sebastian was barely holding on and contemplating how bad his punishment really could be if he came without permission. “Oh my god (pant), B. Your voice…so…”

“Did your like your surprise, Beautiful?”

“Yes, so much.” He took a deep breath as he was slowly coming back from the edge he had once again almost fallen over. “But B? If you can sing like that in French, why did you switch to Italian?”

“So, I could do this.”

 _Non ho mai creduto di potermi sentire così_  
_Come se non avessi mai visto il cielo prima d'ora_

When they walked into Vogue the next morning, Blaine headed off to find Sam and Santana while Sebastian found the breakfast buffet that had been set out for them. His first shoot wasn’t for another hour and he was starving.

“Please let me take a picture of this and send it to Rosa” his sister Sierra semi-asked as she took the picture anyway.

“Hey, you’re Yoda’s boss. Tell her I eat when I’m hungry and to stop with the Jedi mind ticks.”

“What the hell are you talking about? And even if I did know, there’s not a chance on this planet I would say something like that to her.” She sat down and took some grapes from his plate. “I cannot lose her. I think Izzy loves her more than me.”

“Let’s make one thing clear, Izzy loves me most. After all, her first word was Bas.” Sebastian smiled as he realized something. “You called Izzy, Izzy. You never call her Izzy. You yell at me for calling her Izzy.”

“I decided it’s her American name.” Sierra reached across the table and grabbed the hand her brother wasn’t using to shove food into his mouth. “You seem happy. I know you’ve been struggling lately and I’m sorry I haven’t been more supportive…”

Sebastian put down his fork and put his other hand over hers “You are a newly single mother who just moved to another continent and started a high-profile, highly-stressful job. Your plate is pretty full. I’m sorry I haven’t been more help to you.”

Sierra’s free hand joined the others “I like this. This us. I know we’ve never had it before but I’m willing to try if you are.”

His sister was right, he was happy. Happier than he had been in a long time. He had an amazing boyfriend, crazy-in-a-good way friends, a niece he would walk through fire for and what looked like the beginnings of a relationship with his sister he never dreamed possible. Yes, the rest of his life was a huge fucking mess but it was ok. He’d find a way to take back control (he tried not to wince as he shifted uncomfortably in his chair)…even if it meant taking a few punishments along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Santana and Brody’s meeting was in Chapter 48 Not Exactly What We Had Planned. It was also the chapter Blaine and Sebastian went to Las Vegas.
> 
> Hunter’s taped confession is from Chapter 16 Meetings
> 
> Confidentiality agreements were signed in Chapter 54 A Good Old-Fashioned Ass Whippin’
> 
> What happened on Valentine's Day is in Chapter 31 Surprises, Part III
> 
> Come What May: Moulin Rouge version lyrics/French & Italian from lyricstranslate.com
> 
> While I'm back to Fridays, it will be two weeks until the next chapter is up. I will still be able to check comments if you have any questions. As always, thank you for reading.


	63. No Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning of the Teen Vogue photo shoot, Blaine puts himself on vocal rest and everyone there wants to be the first to break him. In fact, they put money on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder: There is a review of characters/back story in Chapter 58.

**From:** Warbler, Blaine  
**Sent:** Tuesday, April 8, 2013 6:21 AM  
**To:** Warbler, Sebastian; Warblers, Senior; Warblers, Non-Senior  
**CC:** Duval, Nichole  
**Subject:** Housekeeping/Nationals Prep

Fellow Warblers,

You may have already heard what has been happening with me here in NYC, especially how it relates to Sam Evans, Captain of the New Directions. If you haven’t, ask someone.

I wanted to assure everyone this will not be an issue as it relates to my Co-captaincy of the Warblers. This past Saturday, Sebastian, the Senior Warblers, several Warbler alumni and myself had lunch with members of the New Directions, both past and present. A set of ground rules were put in place and I give my word as a Dalton Boy, I will follow them faithfully.

With that out of the way, let’s get down to what’s truly important…Nationals

Prior to my departure, Acting Head Master Montgomery informed me my Senior Project had been changed. One of the aspects of this change allows me to devote a significant amount of time to Nationals prep. This by no means takes away any authority of Sebastian as co-captain and I will feel no pity for anyone who attempts to challenge him.

I want to establish a list of potential Nationals songs before the Seniors return next week. So, start sending ideas (artists and/or songs) to Nichole Duval, Nick’s sister, at the email listed above. She has agreed to be my liaison for the rest of the week as I prepare for my performance at NYADA on Thursday and my Julliard concert on Friday. Remember, we are focusing on male divas not just male artists. For example, despite the fact we sang a Queen song at Regionals, I believe we cannot properly represent male divas without going full-on Freddy Mercury at some point.

Do not send ideas to myself, Sebastian or the Senior Warblers separately. While we agreed Nationals prep should begin, our focus remains on College Visit Week. Any Warblers not respecting this request will be meeting with Sebastian and Thad upon their return. Again, I will feel no pity.

* * *

 

Since Sebastian had a break in his schedule, he went to find his boyfriend/co-captain. Of course, Blaine, who had a hundred different things going on, had sent out an email about Nationals. Although he had mentioned doing this, Sebastian was still surprised to see the email in his inbox. However, it did explain why Nichole was there.

“So, what the hell happened in Boston?” Sebastian asked as he plopped down in the director’s chair next to her. “I got a call from Trent telling me something happened at Harvard but wouldn’t say what. He did say all the guys’ parents are on their way, including Thad’s and he was at Yale and Nari’s who definitely isn’t one of the guys. And get this, Trent’s soon-to-be brother Doug is on his way to Boston too. He has an interview at MIT…yeah, that MIT. The kid is a first-year.”

“First of all, good morning. Second, I didn’t know the Doug thing but seriously, what the fuck? And I have no idea what’s going on with Nicky, Nari and the guys. I only know it had to be something big for my parents to leave their _Nichole why the hell did you drop_ _out of Harvard_ inquisition ahead of schedule. Nick’s birthday is next month. I’ll have to get him something big as a thank you for rescuing me…if they don’t kill him. Speak of the devil.” Nichole opened the notification of a new email. “He’s asking me to ask Blaine for 11 tickets to his concert on Friday.”

“11 tickets?”

“5 sets of parents plus Doug. Sounds like this isn’t going to be a quick trip. Sebastian, what the hell did they do? I’m beginning to wonder if Nari’s parents are coming for her or for the fact her father is Wesley Montgomery, Sr. Acting Head Master of Dalton.”

“Maybe, but it sounds like we’re going to have to wait until they get back into the city tomorrow night to get any real answers.” Sebastian took a quick look around for Mercedes or even Santana. He wanted to talk to Nichole without an audience but wondered if he had used up their unexpected alone time. He decided to take a chance. “Can I ask you something personal?”

Nichole went absolutely white “Oh, god. You know about my feelings for Sam too?”

“No, I mean yes, I know you broke up with Jeff because you have feelings for Sam, which was absolutely the right thing to do, in my opinion, I mean…”

“Sebastian?”

“Will you go to lunch with me tomorrow?” Nichole didn’t say anything, just looked at him like he had lost his mind. It was only then he realized exactly what he had said. “Oh, no, no, no, not like that. Blaine, I love Blaine…Shit!”

“Sebastian, I know we’re not actually friends but you can talk to me.”

“I want to take a gap year.” The second the last word was out he slapped his hand over his mouth. While he couldn’t believe he had finally said the words, he had to admit it felt good to do so.

Nichole couldn’t believe he said the words either, especially to her, but if she had to guess “I take it you haven’t told your parents.” When he shook his head, she had one more question “Does anyone else know?”

“Blaine and Mike Chang. That’s it. I just thought…”

“It’s ok, I understand, I really do. It’s just I have an appointment tomorrow at 2PM, so I can’t do lunch. Breakfast?”

“I was going to go to the Versailles exhibit tomorrow morning…”

“Oh, I’ve been wanting to see that. Maybe I could go with you and we could talk while viewing beautiful art work?”

“I’d love to go to the exhibit with you but if anyone asks you’re helping me with my Art History project. I’m done but I’ve been using it as an excuse so my mother wouldn’t ask to go with me. She’s hiding something and the last secret she kept from me blew up my life.” He tilted his head to point out Mercedes had come out from the back and was accompanied by two men in suits. “Do you know what the hell that’s all about?”

“They’re lawyers. Evidently, your boyfriend bought a building and they brought the paperwork for him to sign. Did you know about this? Because, I mean, seriously, Blaine bought…a…building?”

“Yeah, I knew. I’m just surprised it happened so fast.” He didn’t want to elaborate, not knowing if anyone else was aware of the particular building he bought.

Mercedes said goodbye to the lawyers, then came to join them. She looked tired, Sebastian told himself. The poor girl probably hadn’t realized how crazy things were when she agreed to help out for the week. And by crazy, he meant Blaine. For example, after he begrudgingly admitted sleeping on the rooftop deck had not been the smartest idea, he put himself on vocal rest due to a tickle in his throat. Sebastian thought it was a good idea at the time but didn’t realize the idiot (who he loved more than anything) meant all day until he went to rehearse at Julliard. The notes, texts and hand gestures got very old very fast. “Did he at least speak to the lawyers?”

“No, he wrote notes then tore them into tiny little pieces so no one else could read them. But, fair warning, if that boy doesn’t say something soon, I’m pretty sure Santana will hurt him.” Mercedes let out a sigh as she pulled up a chair and had a chance to rest for the first time that morning. “Just to annoy her, Blaine’s response to anything she says is a middle finger. He almost laughed once but caught himself. Sam had to hold her back. This has gone way beyond wanting to win the bet for her.”

The bet begun as a joke but had then taken on a life of its own. After the first hour of Blaine’s vocal rest, Sebastian, Sam, Mercedes, Santana and Nichole had each wagered $20 they could be the first to make Blaine talk. Since then the bet had added the assistant editor overseeing Santana, Blaine’s model “girlfriend”, the hair stylist, and Phil the photographer.

“Is Blaine talking yet?”

None of them had noticed Sierra’s arrival, but to be fair, it was a huge room with multiple entrances. “Sis, what are you doing here?” Sebastian asked. “I thought you were heading back to the office. And no, he hasn’t said a word…yet. I’m sure I’ll break him eventually.”

“I hope your fellow competitors put restrictions on your unfair advantage.”

“How is my being B’s boyfriend an unfair advantage? In fact, it’s the opposite. My kisses leave him speechless.”

From the look Sierra gave her brother, it was obvious Sebastian’s infamous expression of amused disdain was an inherited trait. So, when the Smythe siblings began a rather lively conversation in French, it gave Mercedes an opportunity to stare at Sierra without it being creepy. She couldn’t shake the feeling she had met her before. The more she thought about it, she began to wonder if the feeling related to Kurt’s obsession with the designer. Although, in all the years they were friends in high school, she doesn’t ever remember him mentioning Sierra. None of it made any sense.

“Haven’t figured it out yet?” Nichole whispered, leaning in toward Mercedes.

Half hour into what was becoming her own obsession, Blaine told (texted) Mercedes that Nichole was coming in to handle some Warbler business for him. As much as he appreciated all she was doing, and even though she had helped with the Diva-Off, this was Nationals.

Mercedes was overjoyed with the news. Since they met her, members of the New Directions (both Old and New, to include Blaine) had told Nichole some of their more interesting stories for the creative writing class she was taking while still at Harvard. This meant she was familiar enough with Kurt’s antics to not get confused, while at the same time being far enough removed to be objective…the perfect sounding board to bounce theories off of. “No, but I’m not giving up. Maybe if I figure out why he’s so hung up on Sebastian’s sister, I can help Kurt move past whatever is going on with him. Oh, it looks like they’re about to get started. Santana’s coming over.”

She watched in awe as Santana worked the room with an aura of complete confidence. The 19 year-old moved as if she had been working at Vogue for years, not an intern who had been there 4 months with only two of those at Teen Vogue. She was glad she was there to see this. Even though she and Santana had become closer since her move to New York, Mercedes had to admit she had been concerned about Santana’s reaction to her spending so much time with Blaine. The last time it happened, she was certain at one point the girl was going to _Go all Lima Heights on her ass_ for trying to steal her Best Gay. Of course, the huge bouquet of lilies Blaine sent, with the note of how proud he was of her, probably helped.

While Mercedes might have been impressed, Santana was literally willing herself not to vomit. Everything had been going remarkably well, perhaps a little too well. She kept waiting for something to go wrong and why shouldn’t she. It was obvious her co-workers were. In the beginning of the process, more than a few of them had done some not so subtle bitching to the editor. They were convinced the only reason she had chosen Santana’s idea was because she was one of Anna Wintour’s godson’s best friends. But, that didn’t mean she didn’t take the opportunity and run with it. People didn’t have to like her but she was going to make damn sure they respected her work. You know, like high school.

Sebastian gave Santana his chair and then went to find another. Sierra had asked him to so she could talk to her. She had been watching Santana throughout the day and had been impressed with her work. It was one of the reasons she had chosen to stick around. “Santana, I saw some of the preliminary shots from Seb’s _Study Date Boyfriend_ scenario. I am extremely pleased with how both he and his model girlfriend were able to show off their outfits.”

“Thank you, Ms. Smythe. That means a lot to me.”

“I thought I asked you to call me Sierra?”

“I will, but not while on duty” Santana stated with a surprising seriousness. The fact that the head of Baby Dior (and the new Teen line) had praised her work was a bit overwhelming. She didn’t want to ruin the moment by instinctively coming out with one of her colorful remarks.

“Professionalism, an admiral quality.”

If Santana thought she was overwhelmed by Sierra’s comments, Anna Wintour’s praise was almost more than she could handle.

“Thank you, Ms. Wintour. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll get Ms. Astley.”

“No need, I’m here to see Charming.”

“Charming?” Sierra asked Sebastian who was now sitting to the other side of her.

“It’s what she calls B.”

“Anna Wintour calls your boyfriend Charming…as in Prince Charming? There’s no way I’m not using that piece of information in the future.” Sebastian glared at her but she chose to ignore him. Watching Anna leave to address the photographer, Sierra wished she would have asked why the fashion icon insisted she not to miss this shoot. _Comic Book Boyfriend_ had nothing to do with her line. Then she saw her brother’s face when Blaine and Sam came out wearing ridiculous superhero style outfits. “Hey Brat, pick your jaw up off the floor. I don’t want to slip on your drool. And Santana, what the hell are they wearing?”

“Ms. Smythe, Nichole and possibly Mercedes, may I present Nightbird and the Blond Chameleon.”

“How did you get those?” Mercedes laughed while at the same time trying to knock Nichole out of her stupor. Her reaction to Sam as the Blond Chameleon was similar (but not quite as bad) to Sebastian’s for Nightbird. However, her attraction was supposed to be secret.

“Sam’s was easy. His mom knew where it was. Blainers’ was a different story. His mom couldn’t find his. I finally thought to call Sugar. Got to admit, 75% of the time I still forget they’re cousins. Anyway, she said it was in his room at her house but she was in Ireland visiting Rory and couldn’t get it. I then called Cooper who found it and took it to Sam’s mom who brought both outfits when the Evans clan came to town for the twin’s birthday. A lot of work but totally worth it except I’m kind of pissed I didn’t get more of a reaction out of Nightbird. I was sure this would end his fucking vocal rest and win me the money.”

Santana knew Blaine’s whole _answer everything with a middle finger_ schtick toward her was to keep her from fixating on every little detail of the day, and she loved him for it, but it didn’t mean she wasn’t going to kick him in the balls if he did it again. Speaking of balls, Blaine’s costume left little to the imagination and she couldn’t let the opportunity for a little fun pass by. She moved her chair to the other side of Sebastian “So, you and those tight black pants ever play _Oh, Nightbird, I’m so glad you’ve come to rescue me. Now please untie me from this bed but only after you fuck me first."_

“No, but we probably will soon.” For the second time in an hour, Sebastian slapped his hand across his mouth after saying something he didn’t mean to. While he trusted Nichole to not say anything about his gap year, that wasn’t going to be the case with Santana, especially with as hard as she was laughing.

Santana’s laughter only stopped when Phil came out from behind the camera and began to stage the boys for the shot. Something wasn’t right. The entire room (more like small studio) had been set up as a comic book convention. There were supposed to be other nerds in costumes in the background and the model girlfriends off to the side rolling their eyes while wearing cute outfits. With as much work as she put into the guys, it was sometimes hard to remember this spread was about what the girls were wearing.

She had almost reached the level of panic where she was going to get up and see what the hell was going on when Phil went back behind the camera. “Blaine, Sam, we’re going to get your shot first and then put you in with everyone else later.” Santana relaxed but was anxious for Phil to explain why he was doing it this way. “I want the two of you to have a total fanboy freak-out at seeing your favorite superhero…like Iron Man.”

“Can mine be for Captain America?” Sam called out, trying to get into character. Then from out of nowhere, a voice came up behind them and said…

“But Anna promised I was your favorite.”

“Robert Downey Junior!”

Phil looked down at the shot on his computer screen and then to Anna who gave him a subtle nod “We’ve got the shot. You guys can go change.”

As Blam tried (and failed) to control their fanboy freak-out (in their defense, Phil told them to have one), Anna walked over and she and Robert did the celebrity, double cheek kiss before she turned to face the others.

“I believe several of you owe me $20.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading.


	64. Blam Fight Revisited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian’s biggest regret will always be Slushie-gate. Blaine’s (besides Kurt) will always be “Not for sale”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a review in Chapter 58, but since it’s been a while, this chapter touches on a few topics that haven’t been brought up lately but are relevant to upcoming chapters. I thought it was only fair since after this, things get bat-sh*t crazy until the guys get back to Dalton. 
> 
> Promposal: Someone asking another to Prom in an over-the-top manner. I’ve taught high school…it’s a real thing. Honest.

“Well, Seb is happy” Sam laughed as Blaine came back into the staging room. He was done for the day but stayed until Sebastian left for his _Yacht Club Boyfriend_ shoot. Since they would not be seeing each other until tomorrow afternoon…let’s just say there was a lot of kissing involved.

Blaine’s smile (and swollen lips) confirmed Sam’s observation. “Yeah, it went better than I thought.”

Since all three of them were in the _School Dance Boyfriend_ shoot, Blaine had arranged (with a lot of help) a “promposal” for Sebastian. He thought it was a good time considering they were already in tuxedos. He had planned to be on vocal rest (ROBERT DOWNEY JR!) so had made signs like the guy in _Love Actually_. After Sebastian said yes, they danced (not swayed) alone in the middle of the staged dance floor while Sam and the fake band performed _Bless The Broken Road_. Yes, it was country but he did tell Sam he trusted him. It wound up being the perfect song.

Blaine was in his happy bubble when Sam’s voice brought him back “Hey, I wanted to ask…I mean, Santana and Mercedes didn’t know either…I mean, none of us knew Dalton had a prom.”

“Why wouldn’t Dalton have a prom?”

“Well, because…you know.”

“Because I didn’t ask Kurt when I was at Dalton the first time?”

“Yeah”

“The answer is simple, I didn't ask because Dalton's prom is a Senior Prom and I was just a Sophomore.”

“I know we’re the same age but you seemed so much older back then.” Sam remembered how when he met Blaine he thought he was a Senior. He was surprised when Finn and Rachel told him Blaine had not only transferred to McKinley but was a Junior. “Anyway, are you going to post the video Santana made on your YouTube channel?”

“I asked her to get approval from Bibbi first. This spread is about _girl_ friends and their boyfriends not her god _son_ and _his_ boyfriend. But, I really do need to get something on there soon.”

Sam began to change. He still had two more scenarios to shoot, the first being _Bad Boy Boyfriend._ It was going to take a while to get into the leather pants they had him wearing. “Dude, you launched the site Saturday with the epic Warbler/New Direction version of _In_ _the End_ and you and Santana singing _You + Ur Hand_ at CallBacks. Sunday, you and Brittany announced Fondue for Two was moving to the channel and sang _Hey, there Delilah_ …technically, _Hey, there Santana_. Plus, all those other videos of you performing went up…except, of course, you and Rachel doing _Don’t You Want Me_. Monday, you posted a video announcing the Julliard concert would be live streamed.”

He could see the wheels were still spinning in Blaine’s head, so he walked over (without zipping the pants because…seriously, could they be any tighter?) and grabbed his over obsessive best friend by the shoulders “Dude, today is Tuesday.”

“I know but…”

“Wasn’t this supposed to be a small project to finish up your Community Service hours for graduation? You already have 50,000 subscribers and by the way, the non-profit the money goes to doesn’t have a name. Why don’t you focus on that…you know, after all the other shit you have to do like your NYADA performance and Julliard concert. And don’t forget getting ready for Nationals. Although, you sending out an email asking for song suggestions was a wake-up call for me to get my shit straight, especially since I don’t know what I’m going back to as far as Mr. Schue’s suspension. So, thanks, I guess.”

Blaine rolled his eyes and then went and sat on one of the couches so Sam could finish getting dressed. He knew he should head off to Julliard but he wanted Sam to answer something first. “Fine, I’ll let it go when you finally tell me why you didn’t get a hair cut today. You’ve been bitching about it for 2 weeks.”

“I got a haircut today.”

“You got a trim and a shave. The floor around you looked like someone had cleaned out a hairbrush while around me it looked like someone brought in their pet poodle. Talk.”

“Um, so, ok, well…I decided not to sign with Abercrombie and they were the ones who wanted me to have a more All-American look.”

Blaine sat up straighter because he was surprised to say the least. “Sam, that was a lot of money.”

“I know but with everything else going…not that.” Sam knew Blaine’s mind immediately to the offers from Julliard and NYADA he had received. “They wanted me to start right away but in the next 3 months there is both Nationals and graduation. I want to enjoy this time and be a kid for a little while longer. You might want to try it.”

Blaine understood where Sam was coming from. As much as what he was doing was his dream for the future, he was looking forward to being back at Dalton. In spite of all that, he knew Sam wasn’t giving him the whole story. “Ok, I get it, but come on, I know there’s more.”

Sam took a deep breath. He had no idea why this was so hard to tell Blaine. “Ok, you know how my modeling dream is to get my abs on the side of a bus?”

“Yes, and as someone who appreciates your abs I have faith you will achieve your goal someday.”

“Thanks, but what if I told you Calvin Klein wants to put my abs, and me in their underwear, on a 90 ft. billboard in Times Square?”

“No shit?”

“No shit.”

Blaine was off the couch in a flash and had Sam locked into the tightest hug they had ever shared, then pushed him away to finish getting ready. “Sam that’s amazing!” he exclaimed as he sat back down. “When will it go up?”

“Um…I don’t know if I’m going to do it. When I talked to Brody…”

Those last 5 words practically short-circuited Blaine’s brain “You told Brody about Calvin Klein’s offer and didn’t tell me?”

“Yeah” Sam stated matter-of-factly, surprised at Blaine’s reaction “He was the one who suggested if I was unsure to wait until after graduation. Calvin Klein was ok with a 3 month delay, Abercrombie wasn’t.”

“And I agree with his advice, but Sam, why did you go to Brody, a guy you barely know, and not me, your best friend?”

Sam realized why he had been apprehensive about telling Blaine…this conversation. He looked at the clock and he still had another half hour before he had to be at his next shoot. Now was not the time for this but he knew Blaine wouldn’t let go. “Because he understands.”

“I could understand if you told me why.”

Shit! Sam pulled off the leather pants. He had to take a seat and there was no sitting in those things. He went to the other side of the couch Blaine was on and they both turned in to face each other. “No, you can’t and before you start protesting, hear me out. These past few days have been amazing with the music and the photoshoot and I obviously have no problem with my picture out there. But, what happens when some nice lady from Kentucky has her husband take her on a fancy trip to NYC and while she’s touring Times Square she looks up to see 90 feet of White Chocolate?”

“Oh, Sam.”

“Blaine, if I take the Calvin Klein job, my past will come out. My agent pretty much guaranteed it.”

“And you think Calvin Klein would have a problem with it?”

“No, I told Calvin Klein…”

“Your parents?” Blaine interrupted. “I thought you told them?”

“No, one of those nice ladies in Kentucky stopped my mom in the supermarket to say how sorry she was my parents had to send me away, but how it was probably best they got me out of Stallionz before I got involved in anything too bad.”

Blaine thought he was going to vomit. The worst thing he had ever done had just slapped him in the face. “And I accused you of being for sale.”

He began to back away but Sam grabbed his arm. So instead, Blaine turned his head in shame. Sam wasn’t going to let that happen either. “Look at me…Damn it, Anderson, look at me.” He did but it only made the tears flow harder. “There are two things stopping me from accepting the offer and neither one of them is you.”

“Then what?”

“Not what, who…Stevie and Stacie.”

Blaine pulled back, but this time Sam let him go and they settled back into their previous spots. “Sam, they love you so much. They would understand. Hell, they would love you more knowing what you did for them.”

“Yeah, I know, but they’re 9 years-old, Blaine. Other kids are mean and they don’t go to a school like Dalton.”

“We could find them one” Blaine mumbled, feeling helpless. Sam was right…kids are mean. But, that still didn’t answer “So, you went to Brody because..?”

“I told you, he understands what I’m going through in a way no one else, even you my bestest friend, ever will.”

“How?”

“Did you know he changed his focus at NYADA from performance arts to choreography?” Blaine shook his head. His conversations with Brody had been superficial at best. “He thought about what would happen if one of his former, you know, _clients_ saw him onstage. Sure, he used a fake name…but still. He wouldn't have control over the situation and the thought scares him. What he said made sense to me.”

“It does, it all makes perfect sense, but still…” Blaine didn’t finish, instead he dropped his head in a sign of defeat. “I’m just afraid I’m going to lose you too.”

“Uh, what? Who have you lost?” Sam asked. Blaine had a habit of changing the topic of a conversation without warning. It was extremely irritating.

“I’ve had 4 best friends in my life...Tommy, Beat, Kurt and you. You’re the only one I’ve got left and now you and Brody…”

“Whoa, slowdown cowboy. Ok, number one, I would have been more than happy to talk about this with Brody AND you but you were having sexy-times with your boyfriend last night and I didn’t want to interrupt.”

Blaine gave a slight smile but, if he was honest, it was for a memory of the mentioned sexy-time with Sebastian. “What’s number two?”

“Beat…how have you lost him? We were just at his big, fancy house on the beach in Malibu. You know, best friend bonding time before everyone else got to LA. And why are you calling him Beat and not Drum?”

“Because we’re not Drum and Bud anymore, no matter how hard we’ve tried. I blew it. It’s all my fault. You want to know the real reason I didn’t invite Kurt to Dalton’s prom?”

“Ha! I knew you were older. You’re probably one of those people who just keep taking on new identities so you never have to graduate. How old are you really? 28? 30?”

“Shut up!” Blaine laughed, reaching across the couch to give Sam a shove. “No, I’m 18 and I really was a Sophomore but, not trying to sound all _Alpha Gay_ or anything, I was _Blaine Warbler_. I could have got in.”

“So, why didn’t you?”

“Because at the time, a large group of the guys, Beat included, were convinced Kurt had been a New Directions spy, and not the endearing kind. The Jesse St. James kind.”

“Wait? What? No, when Puck sent him it was never anything like that. I was there.” Although, Sam had to admit he could see how the Warblers came to the conclusion considering Kurt was back at McKinley only 2 weeks after the New Directions won Regionals and were headed to New York.

“I know, we all know now but at the time it seemed like a real possibility. Then I transferred. Beat was the only one who knew Sugar was involved in my decision so he wasn’t upset like the others. Plus, we talked on a regular basis and had monthly sleepovers. Then Slushie-gate happened and I let Kurt talk me into cutting off all contact with the Warblers. Beat was the guy who held me through the nightmares when I first got to Dalton and I cut him out of my life because Kurt told me to.”

If Blaine was expecting empathy from his friend, he was sorely mistaken. “Ok, this pity party ends now. I love you, Bro, but you are going to sit there and listen while I tell you some truths you need to hear. You have to stop trying to fix all the wrongs of the past and start talking to people. Have you told any of this to Beat?” Blaine was slightly afraid so he just shook his head. “On the car ride to Julliard you are to call Beat, ask him about how it went at BFI and then set a date for when you get back to Dalton to talk about all this shit. Got it?”

“Got it.”

“Good, next…”

“Next?”

“I said truth…s, so yes, next, you’ve got to let Seb deal with whatever he’s dealing with. You can’t fix it, just be there for him when he needs you. Oh, and Dude, I know there is not a chance in hell I’ll convince you to pull back on all the consequences you have planned, but talking your parents into buying a fucking building?”

“It’s not like it’s in Manhattan” Blaine responded like it made a difference. “And my parents didn’t buy it. I did.”

Did he really just say that? “Uh, more information, please.”

“Long story short, anytime Cooper came begging for money, my dad would put the same amount in an account for me, you know, only fair. I didn’t want to be like Cooper so I asked my dad to teach me how to invest it. He did, I’m really good at it, which you knew from the Fight Club money. So, since I was constantly investing and reinvesting, the account didn’t have the same structure as my trust fund. When I turned 18 I didn’t need my dad’s ok for anything, although I don’t know if he’s aware of that.”

“So, your parents not only didn’t buy the building, they don’t know you did? You are in so much trouble.”

“Well, they shouldn’t have accused me of being brain damaged.”

“They did not.”

“They implied it.”

For some reason Sam had believed Blaine was past the whole “Intervention” fiasco. Obviously, he was wrong. “You need to talk to your family, Blaine.”

“The only member of my family I want to talk to is Sugar and she’s not answering my calls…or texts…or anything else I can think of.”

Ah, an opening! “Make you a deal. I get Sugar to talk to you and you talk to your folks about all that crap that happened before we left for LA…and Cooper.”

“Deal.” Blaine smiled despite the fact Sam had basically tricked him into having a conversation with his parents he didn’t want to have. To be honest, at this point he would do just about anything to find out what was going on with Sugar. “Thanks, Sammy. I’m sorry I was such an ass about Brody.”

“Yes, you were, but as long as you promise you know it had nothing to do with the whole “For Sale” crap, we’re good.”

“Then we’re good.”

“And Blaine, you forgot a best friend.”

“Bas doesn’t count…Oh shit, Santana.”

“I want it noted I am saving your life by agreeing to never speak of your lapse in memory.” Sam looked at the clock. He really did have to get those leather pants back on but first he had to ask “It’s 2PM. Have you waited long enough?”

“Yeah, Kurt should be at his meeting. I can get out of here.”

“Does he still think he’s meeting with Isabelle?”

“He does.” Blaine’s tone made Sam do a double take. “He’s meeting with someone else first. I’m giving him an out.”

“What do you mean?”

“My mom’s cousin works at CNN. I sent an anonymous tip saying if he wanted the real information on what happened with Congressman Hummel to be at Vogue at 2PM. If Kurt tells the truth and admits it was him and not Burt, I’ll let everything go.”

“Dude, he’s not going to do it.”

“If Kurt were to talk to anyone it would be him. I have to believe when Burt agreed to take the blame, Kurt didn’t know his dad would face criminal charges and jail time.”

“And if he lets Burt take the blame?”

“All hell will be unleashed.”

“As long as I get to help.” Sam stood up and stretched. Blaine hadn’t realized he was only in his underwear until Nichole walked in and let out a gasp.

“Oh, um, Sam, Santana said they’re running about 30 minutes behind” she stammered, trying to look anywhere but at the perfectly sculpted figure in front of her. “And Blaine, Mercedes said you need to call Brody immediately. Something about him sending up the Bat Signal. Yeah, ok, bye.”

Nichole was gone as quickly as she had come in, but it was enough to make Blaine groan in frustration. The message about Brody was bad but the expression on Sam’s face was something he didn’t want to deal with but knew he had to. “It’s you.”

Sam turned from staring where Nichole had exited from “What’s me?”

“The guy Nichole has feelings for so she dumped Jeff because it wasn’t fair to him, it’s you. I didn’t want you to know but I’ve only seen that expression on you once before and it wasn’t when you were with Brittany or met Nari. It was when you and Mercedes were at your best. Sam, I love you but I’m going to be selfish and ask you to think hard before you act on this information. Jeff is still heartbroken and I don’t want this to turn into a question of my loyalties between you and the Warblers.”

Even though he was wrapping his mind around what Blaine said, Sam understood where he was coming from. “Yeah, no problem. Go, call Brody. We’ll talk later.”

Blaine did go and Sam headed over to the dreaded leather pants, his mind racing. He was the guy Nichole had feelings for? He had never considered it, even with the time they had spent together. That didn’t mean he wasn’t thrilled…beyond thrilled…as in, settle down boy, you don’t need those pants to be any tighter. He decided to shift focus by texting Jake to see if he knew what was going on with Sugar. He would still be in class, but by the time Sam was done with the next shoot he should have a response.

_From Sam: Hey, what’s up with Sugar? Blaine’s freaking out_

He set his phone down but before he could walk away there was a response.

 _From Jake: How did he find out?_  
_From Sam: WTF? Call me_  
_From Jake: Can’t. Things just got bat-shit crazy_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My big vacation and Seblaine Week are over so the boys should be back on a more regular basis.
> 
> Ok, show of hands, when Blaine was introduced how many of you thought he was older? I have always assumed the reason they brought him to McKinley and made him a Junior (I vividly remember thinking WTF when Blaine said the words) was so they had someone to carry the New Directions when the Seniors left. As much as I obviously love Sam, he wasn’t really Sam until Blam, plus Chord was off the show at the time. Also, if they were going to make Blaine younger why didn’t they just give us the Warbler spin-off we (and the Warblers) deserved? Rant over.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading.


	65. Unforeseen Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With an unexpected ally by her side, Rachel is forced to face up to her actions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s very little Seblaine in the next 2 chapters. They take place at the same time as the Blam conversation in the previous chapter, so our boys are busy.
> 
> Reminder: Review on Chapter 58 but you only really need to remember…Cam: Brody’s brother, Blaine’s former body guard, head of Cooper’s “Security & Protection” company for NYC.

**NYADA: 2PM**  

Brody could see the smile on Rachel’s face from the other end of the hall. It was the first time he had seen her that relaxed in what felt like forever. “Rachel!” he called out, getting her attention. “You seem to be doing better.”

“Thanks to you” Rachel cooed and gave him a kiss on the cheek, earning stares from students passing by. Oh yeah, that was definitely fodder for at least one of the NYADA blogs. “After the nightmare of mentoring Kurt, Beatrice is a dream. She was so nice...”

As she went on (and on), he thought back to their dinner the night before. The conversations had been tough, but cathartic for both of them. Then that morning, even though he knew it could upset Blaine, Brody went to Carmen Tibideaux on Rachel’s behalf in regards to her being Kurt’s mentor. He owed her, although until their dinner he had no idea how much. It was the least he could do.

It actually worked out better than he hoped for. At the Mentors’ Meeting, Carmen announced Adam had been replaced as The Dirty (now half) Dozen Liaison by the mentor of one of the remaining finalists. And, instead of just having the (former?) NYADA Chosen One take over his replacement’s charge, Carmen assigned the girl to Rachel and made Adam Kurt’s mentor.

Rachel ramblings about her rehearsal with Beatrice had his attention so completely he hadn’t noticed they exited the building until they were interrupted by the pissed-off Brit.

“Proud of yourself, Weston?” Adam yelled, but was then able to gain control. “I cannot fathom you did not have a hand in this situation considering the two blokes you’re mentoring.”

“Adam, this is not Brody’s fault” Rachel said so calmly Brody couldn’t believe this was the same woman he was listening to only a few moments earlier. “It’s yours!”

Ok, there’s the Rachel he knows.

“How is any of this my fault? Evans is the one who told the Grande Dame that rubbish about my not respecting Anderson.”

“I told you all weekend to stop flirting with _BLAINE’S BOYFRIEND_ but no…you just kept oozing your British charm. Bas…Sebastian tried to play it off as you being European, but everyone knew better. Sam is Blaine’s best friend and is very protective of Blaine and Sebastian’s relationship after all the crap Kurt put Blaine through. You’re lucky Blaine wasn't the one to go after you.”

“Do you mean the supposed consequences he threatened me with if I didn't stay away from Sebastian?” Brody let out a snort which seemed to frustrate Adam more. “And what is so funny?”

“I’ll admit I’ve only heard rumors about what Blaine calls consequences, but if you honestly believe you getting called out in front of Carmen Tibideaux was one…” Brody shook his head for effect. They were at a drama school after all. “…you’re either naïve or stupid and you my friend are far from naïve.”

“This isn’t over.”

“Oh, I know.”

Rachel stepped in between the two “Ok, Adam, time for you to go, but before you do…did you meet with Kurt today?”

“What happens between my mentee and myself is none of your business.”

“Hey, I’m trying to help you. If Kurt still plans on performing the song he submitted, _Blackbird_ , that's a song he once sang for Blaine. Madame Tibideaux told him specifically…”

“…not to sing to Blaine” Adam sighed. “We did chat this morning and he does plan to perform Blackbird for his audition. He was quite adamant about it. Damn! Thank you, Rachel.”

Adam left without saying another word, leaving neither Rachel or Brody with a good feeling. “I should probably warn Blaine and Sam about this.”

Rachel nodded her agreement but said nothing, causing an awkward silence between the two. For a few minutes they had existed in a bubble where none of their mistakes mattered, but bubbles eventually pop. The sound of Rachel’s phone ended the silence.

“Are you going to get that?”

“No, it’s my dads and I’m not ready to talk to them. How am I supposed to tell them what I did to Bas…Sebastian? To Blaine?”

“That’s the second time you’ve called him Bas…Sebastian. I thought only Blaine called him Bas.”

“He is” Rachel wistfully acknowledged. Though she had yet to admit it, Brody could tell Blaine cutting her off was as painful as Sebastian. “When Sebastian and I were best friends, I called him Bastian and he called me Ray.”

“Rachel, you and Sebastian were never best friends if you befriended him because Kurt wanted your help sabotaging his relationship with Blaine.”

“You know the expression _I know it in my head but not in my heart_? It’s depressing to say, but even if it was for only 12 days, Sebastian Smythe was the best friend I ever had. Everyone else I’ve called a friend has been because of the New Directions. Well, except you but...”

“I wanted information on Blaine an I knew you were friends.”

“Yeah, but I do appreciate you introducing yourself by walking out of the shower.” The comment brought her smile back but it made Brody uneasy.

“Rachel?”

“Brody?”

“I can’t be your replacement for Sebastian...or Finn.” Rachel lowered her eyes but he grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. “However, I am going to talk to Blaine about letting go of some of his anger toward you. Kurt was only able to get in your head because you felt so alone, and I’m to blame for a big part of that.”

“No, I knew what I was doing. It’s just...I wish Blaine would do something already. I’m getting paranoid. I even had myself convinced the eviction notice I got yesterday was somehow one of Blaine’s consequences.” Her phone rang again with the same ringtone as before, and once again she ignored it.

“You’ve got to answer it sometime…the sooner, the better.”

“Brody, you don’t understand. My dads adore Blaine. My dad, Leroy, calls him his son. He calls the two of us the Anderberry twins. He…”

“…is walking up behind you.”

Rachel spun around so fast she almost fell, but sure enough, both of her dads were walking toward them. Her response was completely unexpected. “The little tattle-tale! Well, I guess I got my wish.”

“What are you talking about?” Brody asked as he pulled out his phone and started to text.

“I wished for Blaine to give me my consequences and it appears he did. He told me yesterday to _Say hi to your dads for me_. He knew they were coming. Damn it, maybe the blabbermouth really is my brother!” Rachel ended her rant and put on a well-practiced _show_ face. “If you want to go I understand.”

“I…I’m just expecting a call any second now or I would. It’s obvious from their scowls they’re not happy to see me with you. I’m sorry.”

“This isn’t you fault, no matter what you think. Wish me luck.”

Brody watched Rachel head toward her fathers. Every instinct told him to get out of there, but Blaine had made him promise if he ever ran into Rachel’s dads to text him immediately with their special code. He didn’t understand why but there was no way he was going to break a promise to Blaine when he had just got him back in his life.

It seemed like forever, but Blaine called him back right away. “Brody? Where are you?”

“At NYADA. I was talking with Rachel in the courtyard when her dads walked up.”

“Did you talk to them?”

“No, I stepped away like I promised. Blaine…?”

“I promise I’ll explain everything this evening when you meet me at Julliard. But right now, I need you to take the phone to Leroy and tell him I want to talk to him.”

“Ok, give me a minute.” If he thought he wanted to run before…but he didn’t. “Um, excuse me” he stammered, trying not to drop his phone as he held it out. He had seen enough pictures of Rachel’s dads to know who was who “Blaine would like to speak to you.”

It was his turn to step away. Leroy didn’t understand why Blaine wanted to speak to him when the boy sent an email the day before saying he was cutting himself off from both him and Hiram due to something Rachel had done. The email was the entire reason they were in New York. “Blaine?”

“Mr. Berry, thank you for taking my call. I know our relationship is royally screwed up at the moment, but I need you to trust me.”

That didn’t sound good. “Of course.”

“There’s no easy way to put this. Brody is Tommy…my Tommy. I’m not going to tell you how or why because it is not my story to tell, but it’s true. If you’re wondering if Rachel knows, she does, but only found out Sunday.” Blaine had told Brody about the email and how he expected Leroy and Hiram to come to NYC. Brody hadn’t been happy but agreed it was for the best if Rachel’s dads knew who he was and Blaine should be the one to tell them.

Leroy saw a bank of benches near him and chose one facing away from his husband and daughter. He didn’t want them to see his sheer astonishment because…Blaine’s Tommy? How? “Blaine, he’s Tommy? The boy who was attacked with you? I thought he died.”

“I know it’s shocking but yes, Brody is Tommy. Mr. Berry, I have no question you want explanations from Brody about what happened between him and Rachel but I’m asking you to let it go, at least for the moment.”

“Can I ask why?”

“He doesn’t know our attackers have been caught and are in jail. It’s been my plan all along to tell him tonight. I know you wouldn’t say anything on purpose but in the heat of a moment unintended utterances have a way of coming out and…”

“Blaine, no, I understand.” In reality, he needed Blaine to stop. The entire situation was overwhelming. On one hand he had Brody…the man who had cheated on his daughter by being a paid escort. On the other hand, he had Tommy…the boy Blaine took to a Sadie Hawkins dance who was beaten and supposedly dead. It was too much. He could only handle one thing at a time and he decided to focus on what the hell was going on with his daughter first. “I can’t keep this from Hiram but I’m sure he will honor your request as well.”

“Thank you, Mr. Berry.”

“However, I’m going to ask a favor of my own. Hiram and I are going to talk with Rachel about what you said in your email. When we’re done I want to hear your side of the story.”

The line went quiet. Leroy was on the verge of checking to see if Blaine was still there when “Fine, but it will have to be when we’re back in Ohio. I…I’ve got too much going on here.”

“I understand.”

“Again, thank you Mr. Berry but I’m heading into rehearsal at Julliard and I really need to talk to Brody.”

Leroy was astonished his knees didn’t give out when he stood. To say he was overwhelmed was a massive understatement. As he headed back, he knew he had made the right choice to focus on what was going on between Blaine, Rachel, Kurt and Sebastian. Brody was standing slightly apart from Hiram and Rachel, waiting for his phone. As Leroy had guessed he most likely would, the only person he saw was Tommy. “Brody, Blaine would like to speak with you.”

He took his phone but didn’t walk away and wouldn’t unless Blaine asked him to. He wanted to get a read on Leroy to at least have a clue at what his next move should be. “Yeah, Blaine.”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“I know you’re in a horribly uncomfortable position right now.”

“Not even close.”

“See you at 6PM?”

“See you at 6PM.” Brody put his phone in his pocket and tried to think of something to say. But what? “Um, I have to go take care of somethings for Sam’s audition.” Not a total lie. He did have to make sure he had secured his back-up band…in an hour. “Rachel, I’ll see you tomorrow at the mentor’s meeting.”

Hiram stepped forward to say something but when Leroy touched his arm, he took the hint to let it go. However, once Brody was gone he had to say something. “Are either of you going to explain what just happened?”

“This isn’t the place” Leroy said softly, for the first time noticing they had an audience. He began to wonder how long that had been going on. “We can talk about it at Rachel’s.”

“We can’t go back to my place.” When both dads glared at her, she added “I’m assuming we have a lot to talk about and we won’t be able to do that if Santana and Mercedes come home.”

“What do you mean _if Santana and Mercedes come home_?” Hiram asked, trying to remain calm. He was usually the level-headed dad since his husband acted from the heart and not the head (like their daughter) but the last of his patience was barely hanging on.

“They’ve been busy with the photoshoot…” She could tell they weren’t believing her half-truth. Damn you, Blaine! “…and they’re mad at me.”

The last of Hiram's patience was now officially gone. “Call them…now.”

“I can’t call Santana. She really is busy at work. I’ll try Mercedes. I have to tell her about the eviction notice anyway.” Shit!

“Eviction notice?!” 

“The building has been sold and we have 90 days to leave.”

While Rachel was getting grilled by her fathers, Brody had made it back to his dorm. Thankfully, his roommate was gone. He needed time to regroup. Everything was going so fast…and so wrong. Except Blaine. Never Blaine. He opened the drawer in his night table and pulled out the only 2 pictures he had kept from his life as Tommy. The first was of Blaine, Sugar and himself. They looked so young…and happy. The other was Blaine and him before leaving for the Sadie Hawkins dance. He had no idea how he had that one, where it came from, but it was his prized possession.

It wasn’t like he didn’t understand he had no chance with Blaine. Hell, he knew that when he and Rachel had gotten back together and he heard Blaine was now with Sebastian. Did he regret sending the note telling Blaine he still loved him? No. Maybe. Depended on the day? But, it was what it was.

This meeting they had tonight was what was throwing him off. Blaine obviously had something to tell him, but what? He shook his head to clear his thoughts, get his head back in the game. He put the pictures back in the drawer and decided he had better send Sam a text about Adam.

_From Brody: Head’s up. Adam removed as liaison and is now Kurt’s mentor. Not happy. Blames you._

He went to put the phone down but received a response.

_From Sam: Thanks. WTF? No shit. No shit._

With everything that had happened, his new-found friendship with Sam was an unexpected surprise.

 _From Brody: LOL_  
_From Sam: Head’s up to you. Told Blaine about CK…and telling you first_  
_From Brody: And?_  
_From Sam: Not happy but gets it. Do you know where your brother is?_  
_From Brody: Cam? Was talking earlier when he said he had to go do something for Coop. Wait, didn’t Coop go back to Lima?_  
_From Sam: Shit_  
_From Brody: Sam?_  
_From Sam: When I get answers, I’ll let you know. Something’s going down in Lima_  
_From Brody: Tell Cooper_  
_From Sam: NO AND DO NOT TELL BLAINE_

Shit!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter but the next is much longer. I went with the natural break.
> 
> Rachel’s new mentee is Beatrice McClaine, the Opera Girl who was cut in Episode 4x01.
> 
> The second part of the review in Chapter 58 is Blaine’s email to the Berry’s inferring Rachel’s consequences.


	66. Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While waiting to meet with “Blaine’s Godmother”, Kurt receives a message from Blaine giving him the choice to either keep his meeting or choose another…one that will eliminate all his problems. Of course, there’s a catch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. I rewrote this chapter more times than I care to admit. Finally, I said f*** it. I’m still not happy but it was necessary to move the story line along. And since, for so many reasons, it has taken a while for me to post I will be including what I call HWYPF (Here’s What You Probably Forgot) based off of canon’s Here’s What You Missed. I also left a timeline in the end notes. I don’t like returning with a Kurt dominated chapter but it is what it is. 
> 
> Kurt and Blaine will have a conversation of sorts. Blaine’s portion will be in italics and any movements which require description are in parenthesis.
> 
> Reminder: A review of characters is in Chapter 58. Names to look for are Sierra, Cam and Travis but their relevance is touched on in the chapter. 
> 
> There is a previously unmade reference to a relative of Blaine’s in this chapter. He (yes, it’s a he) will remain nameless but if you check out Blaine’s mom’s backstory you might figure it out. He will make a full appearance later.
> 
> This begins at the same time as the Blam conversation in Chapter 64 and Brody & Rachel at NYADA in Chapter 65.

**HWYPF**

After Sebastian threw the Slushie, Kurt (without telling anyone) went to Dalton and reported what happened to the Head Master. The man said he couldn’t kick Sebastian out because of his father’s political ties so they made a deal. The Head Master would make Sebastian’s life a living nightmare and Kurt would convince his father (US Congressman Burt Hummel) to support the man in his bid for governor in the next election.

For a while Kurt’s life was perfect. Sure, he didn’t get into NYADA but Blaine convinced him not give up and go to NYC anyway. Safe in the knowledge that Blaine and Sebastian were no longer in contact he did just that and it was everything he ever imaged. He even got his dream job as an intern at Vogue.com while he worked on gaining admission to NYADA.

Then his world fell apart. Blaine cheated on him (he didn’t but that’s another story), went back to Dalton, reconnected with Sebastian and discovered there had been a tape of Sebastian confessing to throwing the Slushie. When their friends found out Blaine had no idea there was a tape they were pissed (or in Santana’s case Hummelcidal).

Things got so bad (especially living with Rachel) he decided to move back to Lima temporarily and get a handle on the situation. He ended his internship at Vogue.com stating he needed to go home and help with the family business. Before he left, his friend Travis helped him find information about illegal gambling within Dalton’s Fight Club and the true nature of Sebastian’s parentage. He blackmailed Blaine and Sebastian unaware (until Blaine went after Dave Karofsky) that Blaine had the both the smarts and financial ability (he had never told Kurt how insanely rich his family was) to fight back.

In between then and where Kurt is now, a lot happened.

Travis blackmailed him for $10,000 because Santana somehow got a job at Vogue and was sniffing around for information. Kurt didn’t have the money (yet) and he told the one person he shouldn’t have…Cooper Anderson. Cooper paid off Travis then demanded his $10,000 back and made Kurt work at Breadstix to pay it off.

He inexplicably thought for a while he was in love with Sebastian until he remembered And one of us has a hard luck case of the gay-face, and it ain't me. Odds are by the end of the school year, I'll have Blaine and a Nationals trophy, and you'll have khakis and a Lima Bean apron and that gay face and decided the Meerkat had tricked him.

He sang _Being Alive_ at Mr. Schue’s wedding and Blaine made the same face as when he sang _Blackbird_. Later, Blaine admitted he missed Kurt (the Kurt on the stage not the person he had become). Rachel told him if he would have sung _Being Alive_ at his NYADA audition he would have got in. He not only convinced her to submit a video (which got him a new audition) but become friends with Sebastian to get information to help him get Blaine back.

Who knew she and the Meerkat would actually become friends?

He found out Sebastian’s dad told Burt what he had done to Sebastian the year before. He had never seen his dad so disappointed.

Blaine was told about his NYADA and realized they would be in NYC at the same time. He offered to put Kurt up at the Plaza and would give him a 1st class trip if he stayed away from everyone and kept his mouth shut/jealousy in check. But, Chandler (yes, that Chandler) said he should use the time to show his dad he had changed. He turned Blaine down, fully aware there would be consequences if he screwed up.

And, of course, he did.

When Blaine said consequences, he meant it. The Head Master’s nephew, Hunter Clarington, had evidently given a statement to the DA about Kurt’s involvement in what was now called the Dalton Scandal. Burt said he would take the blame but cut Kurt off financially.

The only mystery remaining is what the hell is Kurt’s fascination with Sebastian’s sister (Sierra)?

**And now back to our story**

* * *

 

**Vogue 2PM**

Kurt entered the offices of Vogue in complete awe. As much as he loved, and admittingly shouldn’t have left, Vogue.com…this was VOGUE! Anna Wintour (cue internal fanboy squealing) was probably somewhere in the building. The closest he had ever gotten to his idol was when she sent an email to Isabelle about the video they had shot with Rachel.

“Excuse me. I’m Kurt Hummel. I have an appointment with Isabelle Wright.”

“Then you’re at the wrong offices” the receptionist told him without bothering to look up from her computer.

“No, I received a call yesterday rescheduling my appointment. The person I spoke with specifically said to come to the main offices.”

His explanation still didn’t earn him eye contact. “And this person said you were to meet Isabelle Wright? Here?”

Why is this woman asking such asinine questions? Kurt asked himself but then remembered “Technically she said my friend (love of my life) Blaine Anderson’s Godmother…”

She didn’t bother to let him finish the sentence “Oh, yes. One moment please.”

Ten minutes later he was taken to _Anna’s_ floor and led into _Anna’s_ conference room. Why he was meeting Isabelle there he had no idea (or did he care) but evidently, she was running late…as usual. His former boss was brilliant but probably hadn’t been on time to anything in her life. However, the extra time was actually a blessing. It gave him a chance to settle himself and think about what happened when he arrived for rehearsal at NYADA that morning. Somehow, Rachel had been replaced as his mentor by Adam. Something just didn’t feel right, although on a positive note, he wouldn’t have to listen to Rachel constantly harping at him about Blackbird anymore.

_Kurt, Madame Tibideaux specifically told you not to sing a song you’ve sung for Blaine._

_I didn’t sing Blackbird for Blaine. I sang it for Pavarotti. It’s not my fault Blaine realized he loved me at that exact moment._

_Kuuuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrtttttttttttttttt_

Even with his reservations, he had to admit Adam was a better fit as a mentor. They had a lot in common. Number one on the list was their shared opinion on Sam being a finalist. Seriously, how could someone as distinguished as Carmen Tibideaux not see he was doing nothing more than riding Blaine’s coattails? Plus, Adam had praised his rendition of _Blackbird_ , describing it as lovely. Of course, he had left out the backstory of how it related to Blaine’s _There you are revelation_. What was the saying? What his mentor didn’t know…blah, blah, blah.

Between his focus on events at NYADA and the spectacular view of the city through the room’s floor to ceiling windows, Kurt missed the sound of the door opening.

“Mr. Hummel.” The assistant who had escorted him to the room came in carrying a small box which she placed on the conference table. “There has been another unexpected delay. It could be up to an hour. You can remain here or I can reschedule you for next week.”

“I didn’t have time for this shit” he cursed under his breath, but he had to see Isabelle. An email had arrived from the bank in Lima stating his dad had released his college savings and the amount was significantly less than he anticipated. There was barely enough for one-year’s tuition at NYADA along with (meager) living expenses. So, if his dad was serious about cutting him off, he not only had to win the Dirty Dozen’s full-ride scholarship, he had to convince Isabelle to hire him back.

He had gone so far into his head yet again, the assistant repeated her question. He chose to wait mainly because he had no idea where he would be next week. His current housing situation was tenuous at best, going back to Rachel’s wasn’t an option and Chandler wouldn’t answer his calls. The last being what bothered him the most.

The assistant didn’t say anything else (or offer him a beverage which was rude) but when she turned to leave Kurt noticed something “Excuse me. You left your box.”

“Oh, no, Mr. Hummel. The box is for you.”

She gave no further explanation before exiting and her amused-yet-condescending tone further confused him. He hoped the contents of the box would help but it only made things worse.

Why the hell would she give him a cookie?

_Hello Kurt_

“Blaine?” He turned to see Blaine’s face on a screen he assumed was for presentations. It took a moment to recognize this was a recorded message and not live, which only seemed to pique his curiosity further. He wasn’t necessarily surprised Blaine knew he was meeting with Isabelle since she’s his godmother, but why a recorded message?

And seriously, what the hell was up with the cookie?

He took said cookie and sat in one of the chairs, waiting for Blaine to continue. Was he supposed to do something? He tried waving his hand to see if it would signal the video to restart.

Surprisingly, it did.

_As much as I’d rather do this in person, we both know that would end in a yelling match and nothing would be accomplished._

Unfortunately, that’s probably true…holy crap, this is the best cookie I’ve ever had!

_You know, if someone told me a year ago this would be the state of our relationship I might have believed them._

Really?

_Yes, really._

Ok, that was weird but it only proves Blaine knows me better than anyone.

_I had a feeling we couldn’t handle the separation but you kept promising me nothing would change. This got me thinking about promises I made to you when we were together, specifically the promises I made when I gave you the bowtie ring for Christmas._

Yes! He finally remembered! Everyone knows Blaine is a man of his word. It’s all that Dalton honor crap they try to beat into them.

_I decided some of the promises were no longer valid since there was an implied cavate you would do the same for me._

Huh?

(Blaine pulls out an actual list.) _To always love you. If nothing else, blackmailing me, pick one…Fight Club or Bas, proved you stopped loving me at some point. Then there was also the time you were supposedly in love with Bas. Oh, that’s right, you weren’t in love with him, he tricked you. Really Kurt, tricked you? How old are you…5?_

He did trick me! How else could he predict months in advance what would happen?

_To defend you even when I know you’re wrong. When you thought I cheated on you, you immediately told everyone we know what a horrible person I was. And just for a reminder, I didn’t cheat on you. If you would have let me finish one sentence all of it could have been avoided. Don’t get me wrong, we would have still broken up eventually but there might have been a chance we could still be friends. No, hold on, we would have never stayed friends after I found out about the tape._

Maybe that one is a little bit my fault and I should have given you more of a chance to explain. But to be fair, you were lying. The guy, Eli, wasn’t some random guy. It was that slut Brody and you chose to keep his secret from me. And for the love of the god I don’t believe in, will you let it go with the tape already! How long is everyone going to hold that against me?!

_To always pick up your phone calls no matter what I’m doing. Yeah, I think we both know how that went for you._

I was busy! And I didn’t want to hear about all those stupid clubs. And, of course, you won the Student Council President election. Nobody cared you were gay…an Alpha Gay.

Oh.

_To kiss you whenever and wherever you want. This was a promise I should have never made. That was my fault._

So, I was uncomfortable with PDA in Ohio. I’m sure it would have been different here. But yes, it would have never been the same way you and Smythe disgustingly hang all over each other.

_There are three more promises. The first two I have chosen to adapt. To bake you cookies at least twice a year. Hopefully, Miss Martin gave you the box with the cookie._

The best damn cookie I ever ate!

_On the bottom is the address of the bakery. I have set up an account with enough money you can buy 2 cookies twice a year for the next 10 years…or just go buy 40 cookies. I don’t care. I kept my promise._

At least I won’t starve.

_Adapted promise number two…To help you remember you are perfectly imperfect. I adapted this one simply by using the thesaurus. I haven’t decided what to change it to. Right now, absolutely awful is winning._

Is that really how you see me, Blaine, or is that the Meerkat talking? You do tend to be easily influenced. All of this is so unlike the boy I love. The boy who held out his hand and asked me to dance when the bullies elected me prom queen. The boy I thought would someday be the man who held out his hand and asked me to dance our first dance as husbands.

(Blaine clasps his hands on the table he’s sitting at and focuses directly on the camera. The smirk he’s wearing throughout the video is gone. He wants to Kurt understand how serious he is) _To always surprise you. This is the promise I’m keeping._ _My mom’s cousin works at CNN and is ready to hear your story about what happened at Dalton. The true story. That you did all the shit your dad is accused of. I have to believe you didn’t know the trouble Burt would get in and you love your dad enough to fix it. If you do the interview, I will let everything go, including Finn getting to keep his job and Rachel being forgiven for her part in your plan to break me and Bas up. It will be up to Bas if he wants to be friends with her again. And your old pal Travis, don’t think I’ve forgotten about him._

His tone when he said Travis’ name didn’t sound forgiving. That can’t be good.

_There’s more. Cooper has offered to forgive the money you owe him…technically, give the money back._

Huh?

_Did the money your dad send seem a little short? That’s because Burt paid Cooper the rest of the $10,000 you owed him out of it._

Son of a bitch!

_Good news is, no matter what you decide, you don’t have to work at Breadstix anymore._

Like I was ever going to go back and work for your asshole brother again.

_That’s my offer. Talk to my cousin, go back to Ohio and clear your dad then face whatever happens. Do that and all is forgiven. I’ll even sweeten my offer. Once everything is settled, I’ll get you a job at Baby Dior._

Oh, god. No, no, no…

_Kurt, I’ve known from the moment I saw Sierra. I haven’t told anyone, including Bas._

(Sigh)

_I hate keeping things from him but it’s best for now. You should know Mercedes is determined to figure this out._

Damn it!

_So, did like my surprises? If your answer is yes then wait…there’s more! And if your answer is no then too bad…there’s more! When someone comes to get you, you will be given a choice…my cousin or my godmother. Choose my cousin, and I keep the promises I just made. Choose my godmother and all the promises I made that day at Breadstix are back on. Well, most of them. I got a little carried away with some, but I can find a way to keep them if you really want._

_Goodbye, Kurt_

The moment Blaine said goodbye, the video shut off and the assistant reappeared. “Who will it be, Mr. Hummel?”

What the hell?! “Don’t I have time to think about this?”

“No, people are waiting.”

“I had to wait.”

“Let me rephrase my earlier statement. Important people are waiting. Your decision, Mr. Hummel.”

Like there was ever a choice. “Blaine’s Godmother.”

The assistant smiled a smile that made Kurt’s heart drop. “Please follow me.”

When they left the conference room, it took about 30 seconds to figure out where she was taking him. “Um, why is my meeting with Isabelle Wright in Anna Wintour’s office?”

The assistant (who he now remembered Blaine called Miss Martin) opened the door and pointed to a chair where he was to sit. Once he had she told him “No one here ever said you were meeting Isabelle Wright.”

He didn’t have a chance to ask what she meant before he was alone again and a different video came on the computer screen facing him. This time instead of Blaine talking, Sam was singing. Blaine was on the screen as well but dancing with Sebastian. They looked every bit the Disney Princes Brittany had called them at Mr. Schue’s wedding.

He wanted to vomit.

_That every long lost dream lead me to where you are_  
_Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars_  
_Pointing me on my way into your loving arms_  
_This much I know is true_  
_That God blessed the broken road_  
_That led me straight to you_

Did Blaine pick these songs strictly to piss him off? I did not point Blaine into Sebastian’s arms. And that ridiculous song he and Beat sung…rapped…whatever at CallBacks? I never mocked Blaine or treated him like he was part of my property. There was one thing the song got right. Most of the time I don’t recognize him anymore.

“I’m considering using the video on Vogue.com for Pride Month.” The voice Kurt heard was DEFINITELY not Isabelle’s but he couldn’t believe it was actually her until Anna was sitting across the desk from him. “Since that’s in June and the spread being shot is for the Back-to-School Teen Vogue issue in August, I don’t see a conflict. There is enough content the school dance scenario can be eliminated from the Teen Vogue spread but there is a chance some of the designers will be upset. What would you do Mr. Hummel?”

Oh…My…Gaga! Anna Wintour is giving me a test! Maybe Isabelle told her Rachel’s make-over video was all my idea! Calm down! Damn it! Answer her! “I would save the pictures for Teen Vogue and reshoot the video with other gay models or actors.” He was pleased with his answer, especially since reshooting the video with a famous model was what Anna had done with the make-over video.

Anna let out an annoyed huff and turned the screen to face her. “Typical. Telling me what you believe I want to hear. You didn’t think I would know about the make-over video?”

Nooooooooooooo! “I’m sor…”

“Don’t bother. Any apology is a waste of time. You chose wrong Mr. Hummel.”

Kurt watched her push a button on her desk phone as all the clues he missed became crystal clear. “You? You are Blaine’s Godmother?”

“I am, but more importantly I am a promise Charming told you he would keep if you chose wrong.”

The memory of him, Finn and Blaine in Cooper’s office replayed in Kurt’s head. He remembered Blaine promising there would be consequences (stupid term) if he had one of his so-called shit-fits (Seriously, calling Sebastian a slut on a NYADA gossip page wasn’t that bad) but he couldn’t remember the specific promises. If he had learned anything since this started it was Blaine was hell bent on keeping his promises. “Ms. Wintour, I don’t understand.”

“I’m his assurance you will never be hired by any fashion house.”

He bit his lip to prevent blurting out _You can’t do that_! She was Anna Wintour. Of course, she could. “Excuse me, Ma’am but Isabelle was always pleased with my work.”

“Yes, she was pleasantly surprised once you were given the job.”

Huh? “Given the job?”

“How does Charming put it? He can’t believe you thought you got an internship at Vogue.com with pictures of your high school wardrobe, a personal blog on Project Runway, and a hippo broach. You’re here.” Kurt turned to see who she was talking to only to find one of Cooper’s goons. “I’m done with him. You made sure security has his picture and knows to send throughout the entire company?”

“Yes, Ma’am. They all know he’s not allowed on any Vogue property.”

Are they talking about me? “Ms. Win…”

“I said I was done with you. Cam, do you know if the other matter was handled?”

“From what Miss Martin told me Travis has been fired and removed from his building. I personally made sure Blaine was aware of everything.”

“Good. Take Mr. Hummel with you as you leave. If he tries to stay, physically remove him.” Anna turned to her computer. She had nothing left to say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Done! It seemed like a lot but that included the HWYPF. Let me know if it was helpful. Like I said, I know posting has been sporadic but it looks like I'll be in a good place for a while.
> 
> Blaine found out about the tape in Chapter 1 More Than A Feeling
> 
> Everyone else found out Blaine didn’t know about the tape in Chapter 5 Truths
> 
> Kurt first blackmailed Seblaine in Chapter 12 Saturday in Lima
> 
> Blaine’s consequences toward Karofsky are in Chapter 15 A Very Busy Day
> 
> Kurt realized Sebastian “tricked him” in Chapter 26 Facing Your Demons
> 
> The first set of Blaine’s promises to Kurt are from the deleted Klaine Box Scene, Episode 4x09 Extraordinary Merry Christmas. The other promises Blaine mentions are from Chapter 45 Scorched Earth.
> 
> Cooper told Kurt he paid off Travis’ blackmail and he would have to work at Breadstix to pay it off in Chapter 24 Be Who You Truly Are
> 
> Bless The Broken Road: Boyd, Robert E.; Hanna, Jeff; Hummon, Marcus 2004 The song/video is from Blaine's promposal in Chapter 64 Blam Fight Revisited
> 
> The ridiculous song Kurt refers to is In The End by Linkin Park and is in Chapter 52 Saturday In New York, Part 3


	67. Goodbye Tommy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine and Brody talk about the past, the state of their current “relationship” and what happens next…and then all hell breaks loose. AGAIN!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've rewritten this note 10 times and I still don't know if it will help...The first 2/3 of the chapter deals primarily with tying up the Tommy/Brody story. I have to admit I STUGGLED writing this due to one character have two distinctively different names and lives (pre-attack/NYADA). It didn't feel right to call the pre-attack character Brody. However, at points it made sense for other characters to slip and call him Tommy. So, at those times and some (possibly confusing) references to the past, Tommy is in italics as a cue they're talking about the character we know as Brody.
> 
> Reminder: There is a review of OCs and storylines in Chapter 58. Names you might want to look for are Travis (last chapter) and Doug.
> 
> A name I noticed I didn’t include in the review is Cory. She was Sugar’s mom (Blaine mom’s sister). Since Tommy lived near the Mottas and met Blaine through Sugar, he would have known her. 
> 
> Warning: Extensive talk of a hate crime and it's aftermath
> 
> I used a perceived stereotype of Russians and the mob. I tried not to but could not work out another way to explain what happened. If I offended anyone, I apologize.

**HWYPF**

There was a boy attacked with Blaine at Sadie Hawkins. His name was Tommy.

Tommy was Sugar’s neighbor when her family lived in Columbus. At the time Blaine lived in Detroit but would fly into Columbus (thanks to his dad’s private jet) most weekends and holidays. When the three of them were together they were inseparable, thinking of each other as siblings.

When Blaine was 14, his Aunt Cory became ill so he and his parents moved to Westerville. Blaine managed to get himself enrolled at Westerville High in his quest to be a _normal kid._ When the school announced a Sadie Hawkins dance, he gathered his courage and invited Tommy (for who he recently developed more than brotherly feelings). Tommy had feelings for Blaine as well and said yes. We all know what happened next.

By the time Blaine woke up in the hospital, Tommy and his parents had vanished. Eventually, his parents were found. They never said the words but let everyone (including his brother, Cam) believe Tommy died.

Three years later, Blaine’s at McKinley and Kurt’s in NYC. Feeling alone, Blaine started communicating with a guy named Eli through Facebook. Eli turned out to be the not-dead Tommy. Following a serious make-out session, but no sex, Tommy/Eli told Blaine he now goes by Brody Weston…the same Brody Weston who goes to NYADA with Rachel. Tommy/Eli/Brody explained why he disappeared (we don’t know why yet) and Blaine agreed to keep his secret.

Blaine went to NYC to see Kurt and work on their relationship but saw Brody and Rachel together and got upset. When Kurt asked what’s wrong, Blaine tried to tell him he was unhappy but Kurt “heard” Blaine cheated on him with Sebastian.

Months later, the Sadie Hawkins attackers were found and a prison deal was pushed through. Blaine agreed to the terms to keep Brody’s secret. The stress of the keeping Brody’s secret, the deposition he had to give in the Dalton scandal, his graduation projects and preparing for the Julliard concert overwhelmed Blaine. Sebastian jokingly said they should break-up. Unfortunately, he was overheard and news of the Sebreak ran rampant, even beyond the halls of Dalton. A week later Blaine received a note from Brody saying _I still love you_.

Blaine told Sebastian about Tommy/Eli/Brody. They agreed Brody would try to see Blaine in NYC, most likely when he was at NYADA the following Monday. Instead, Brody showed up at CallBacks on Saturday with everyone (including Sugar and his brother Cam) in attendance.

Blaine and Brody worked out an uneasy truce since Brody is Blaine and Sam’s NYADA mentor, but there are definite problems. Sugar isn’t talking to Blaine and Brody doesn't know the attackers have been found.

**And now back to our story**

* * *

 

 _If someone said three years from now_  
_You'd be long gone_  
_I'd stand up and punch them out_  
_Cause they're all wrong_

 _And time makes_  
_It harder_  
_I wish I could remember_  
_But I keep_  
_Your memory_  
_You visit me in my sleep_

 _My darling_  
_My darling_  
_I miss you_  
_My darling_  
_Who knew_

When Blaine finished he took out his ear piece and signaled Brody he’d need a moment. After reviewing a few concerns with the concert director and members of the band/orchestra, he took a deep breath to settle himself. He had no idea how Brody would react to the song. “What did you think?”

“I’m blown away! You wrote that? For me?”

“No, I wrote it for Tommy.”

There was a long pause as Brody tried to understand Blaine’s comment. It was obvious from expression when he did. “I’m not Tommy anymore.”

“Nope.” Blaine gave his old friend a matching sad smile as he sat in the seat next to him. “But, I have to tell you, I’ve really come to love this song despite the problems it caused.”

“What do you mean?”

Blaine explained how he wrote _Who Knew_ in one night then in exhaustion had a mini-collapse leading everyone at Dalton to believe he and Sebastian broke-up. “They even named it the Sebreak” Blaine laughed although he hadn’t found it funny at the time.

“I heard about the Sebreak.”

“How? Rachel? I thought you two weren’t speaking until you both were chosen as mentors.”

“She was yelling at Kurt on her phone. It was impossible not to hear her.” Blaine laughed at how accurately the statement described his frie…former friend. “You know, lot of guys at NYADA were pretty bummed when you came to New York with Sebastian.”

“Including you?” When Brody nodded his answer, Blaine had one of Sam’s infamous epiphanies. “You thought Bas and I weren’t together when you wrote the _I still love you letter.”_

“I did…well, didn’t…you know.”

“And now?”

“I get I’m not your Tommy anymore, but you’re not my Boy Wonder either." Brody paused to edit himself. He wanted...he needed to get this right. "I’ll move on eventually but I can’t lose you again while I’m working on it.”

Blaine put his hand on top of Brody’s and entwined their fingers. “I can’t lose you either but I want to make one thing perfectly clear.” Blaine looked so serious Brody became concerned. “Sam is MY best friend. Go find your own bromance.”

“What about Sebastian?” Brody asked with the mischievous glint in his eye Blaine had missed but usually meant trouble.

“Shut up, Dumb Ass.”

“Ah, it’s just like old times” Al Motta mockingly gushed as he and Cam walked into the rehearsal hall.

Blaine had asked his uncle to be there when he told Brody their attackers were in jail. While Sebastian’s dad, Xavier, was the attorney of record, Al Motta had assured some of the _*cough*_ less formal arrangements. However, at the moment Blaine was more interested in what Cam had to say. “So, how big a shit-fit did Kurt throw when he finally figured out Bibbi's true identity?”

Brody had to interrupt. “Ok, I’m confused. How did Hummel not know your godmother is Anna Wintour? I mean, he worked at Vogue.com.” It was Brody’s turn for an epiphany. “You son of a bitch, you got him the job!”

“Long story and yes. Now, will you quit being rude and let your brother continue, Dumb Ass?”

“I thought you were going to stop calling me that.”

“I remembered why I began calling you that in the first place and changed my mind…Dumb Ass.”

Al set his briefcase down on the piano and smiled at the interaction. His wife would have been so happy to see how _Tom_ …Brody and Blaine seemed to be slipping back into old habits. He hated God for taking Cory from Sugar, and him, but at least she had been too sick to comprehend what happened to her boys. “Glad to see somethings never change.”

Blaine wanted to ask his uncle about Sugar but it wasn’t the time. Plus, Cam still hadn’t given him an answer on Kurt. “Seriously, Cam. What happened at Vogue?”

“When I got there, your godmother had already gone all (air quotes) Anna Wintour on his ass. I did remind him of the confidentiality agreement and told him to leave Chandler alone. That’s it.”

“Who’s Chandler?” Sam had been giving Brody a tutorial on the people in Blaine’s life and he didn’t remember anyone named Chandler.

Blaine shook his head. They definitely weren’t going there. If Brody was complicated, Chandler was calculous-level complicated. “Another long story but in the end, he’s Rosa’s grand-nephew.”

Despite being away from the people he considered his true family for over 3 years, no further explanation was necessary. “So, no matter what the story is, he’s family and we take care of him.” His uncle motioned Blaine to come stand with him so Cam could sit next to his brother. Brody instantly could tell something was up. “Why do I have a feeling you two aren’t only here to tell Blaine about Kurt?”

“Because they’re not.” Blaine felt an arm across his shoulders but he flinched away. “Sorry, Uncle Robert. I really need you to be Al Motta right now.”

Brody became extremely uncomfortable. Why did Blaine need Al Motta and which Al Motta was he talking about…the lawyer or his father’s former _business partner_? “Blaine, just tell me.”

Blaine looked down when he felt himself rubbing his knuckles. It seemed like a good place to begin. “When I started at Dalton, Cam was teaching me to box for self-defense. A lot of the other guys caught on and we started a fight club.”

“Ok, what does your fight club have to do with this?”

“Everything.” Blaine skimmed over how much he loved being Wolverine, the betting and how they used the money to fund David’s scholarship and history behind consequences. He focused on the leak…Sam, Puck and Finn meeting the two guys while trying to get into his fight with Hunter, how those guys knew details of Dalton Fight Club they shouldn’t and how they said they had heard everything from a graduate.

“This is fascinating but…”

“Please, just let me get through this.” He skipped ahead to having Doug search for the guys online. “He narrowed it down to 8 people. I recognized 2 but I didn’t know where. Doug recognized the same 2 guys but knew exactly who they were…his brother’s drug dealers. It didn’t take much for him to figure out his brother was the leak. When he confronted him, he threatened to kill Doug if he told anyone. Somehow the kid found the courage to tell me and I asked to see a picture of his brother.” Blaine held up his scarred knuckles “That was when this happened.”

Brody had seen the scars and knew how obsessed everyone was with Blaine protecting his hands. He just didn’t understand how all of this fit together.

Until he did

“The brother and the two guys you recognized…3 guys…and you learned to box to protect yourself so when you saw…”

By this time Brody was hyperventilating and Blaine was crying. Cam grabbed ahold of his brother to help calm him and Al decided no matter what Blaine wanted, he was taking control. “ _Tommy_ ” Al knew he should call him Brody but, in that moment, didn’t care. “The brother, Earl Stafford, was the primary attacker. It didn’t take much to get the other two to roll-over on him.”

“How…how come this wasn't in the news?”

“Blaine insisted it stay out of the press and get settled as quickly and quietly as possible. If an investigation happened, your name would have come out. We thought he was respecting your memory not keeping your secret.”

Brody had no idea how hard it had been on Blaine to keep his secret. No wonder he was furious when he walked into CallBacks without warning, knowing both Sugar and Cam were there. He had really fucked that up but fucking up was what he did best. “Where are they now?”

“All in jail. The accomplices got 3 to 5. Stafford got 5 to 8 but the drugs have really fucked him up mentally. They’ve moved him to a psych unit.”

There are 7 stages of grief. Brody went from 1 (Denial) to 5 (Anger) in 30 seconds. “So, what? He’s in some cushy drug-rehab? He tried to kill us!”

“Son, you didn’t want anyone to looking for you. I’m guessing it has something to do with your parents.” Playing the parent card was low but it got Brody to calm down. “He’s not in rehab, he’s in a psych facility. Big difference. And for your information, Stafford cannot serve his time in any private facility unless it’s approved by Blaine.”

“Huh? How the hell did that happen?”

Blaine wiped his eyes, willing himself to stop crying. “I was pissed when they let him out of federal custody and said it wasn’t a hate crime.”

“Ok, that part I know. I had coffee with Leroy…”

That was a surprise. “Leroy Berry?” Cam asked, well aware of what had happened between his brother and Rachel. “Does he know…”

“I was working as a gigolo while sleeping with his daughter…yeah.”

The others were thankful Brody broached the topic the three of them couldn’t. “I can leave” Blaine offered. He wanted an explanation but technically this didn’t involve him, especially since he had cut Rachel from his life. He’d get the answer to "coffee with Leroy" later.

“No, stay.” Blaine wasn’t the person Brody wanted to leave but he knew that would never happen. “Cam, how much do you know about what happened with me after the attack?”

“Obviously, not much, just what mom and dad…” The expression on Brody’s face said more than words ever could. “No…”

“Your parents thought the attack was a message, didn’t they? That’s why they checked you out of the hospital and ran.” When Brody nodded, Al cursed himself for not putting the pieces together sooner. He had been so focused on taking care of his wife, he had trusted Brody and Cam’s father to handle business. He didn’t find out until much later how badly his partner had screwed over some very dangerous people.

“They were going to send me back to our family in Russia. The only thing I had going for me was broken ribs. I couldn’t fly until they healed.”

It was clear Al and Cam understood, Blaine was oblivious…and not ashamed to admit it. While Brody had told him about his time in NYC, he never said how he got there, only that it was related to his parents. “But by that time you were 18. Your birthday was a week after the attack…which, of course, you know.”

“When we emigrated, my parents obtained legal status for all of us but paperwork had to be filed when Cam and I turned 18 or we lost status. It’s usually a formality but…”

“Mom and dad wouldn’t file yours, Son-of -bitch!”

“Nope. When I said I wouldn’t go they made sure I had no choice.”

Poor Blaine, he was still so confused. “Then how are you in school?”

“Carmen Tibideaux”

“Huh?”

“Like you said with so many things tonight, long story, but for some reason, I decided to spill my guts to Carmen. She’s been amazing, especially considering I can’t officially be a student. I was able to stretch what money I had for a long time but it ran out and I couldn’t get a job without a social security number. I knew a guy who was already doing…it. I never expected Rachel to come back into my life and I planned to quit but something always seemed to come up.”

This was the point where Cam lost it. “Why didn’t you contact me when you went to Blaine?”

“I was going to but he said you were visiting our parents...”

“I was there demanding answers about you! _Tommy_ , they let me believe you died! Hell, I went to Russia last year hoping someone there knew something.” Cam was so upset he didn’t notice Blaine was next to him until he felt his hand on his shoulder. Their relationship was never the same after his trip to Russia. No matter how hard Blaine tried, Cam couldn’t forgive himself for not being in the parking garage that night.

The timing couldn’t have been better when Blaine’s phone went off and broke the tension. He excused himself but gave his uncle unspoken permission to continue without him. “Brody…”

Cam and Brody stared at each other, then back at the usually earnest (except with Sugar) man, wondering why he had inexplicably burst into laughter “Um, Mr. Motta?”

“Boys, I’m sorry” Al said once he caught his breath. “I just finally understand why Blaine can have nicknames for every single friend but can’t remember to call me Al. Calling you Brody feels wrong. I don’t know how Blaine does it so easily.”

“Because he’s accepted I’m not his Tommy anymore. The thing is I’m not Brody Weston either. He was a guy who was admitted to NYADA but died before coming so Carmen gave me his spot…and name.”

“I think I have a solution.” Al had been thinking about this since Sugar’s meltdown when he made her go back to Lima on Sunday. “Let me adopt you and you can choose whatever name you want.”

“Ummmm…what?”

“You're an adult so your parents have no say but your illegal status is something I’ll have to look into. Right now, our number one concern is getting you under protection. Cam, call Cooper.”

“Ummmm…”

“Brody, let it go. You won’t win.” Blaine didn’t know what to think about what he overheard, especially with Sugar not speaking to him. “Did you give it to him?”

Al shook his head then took a file out of his briefcase and handed it to Blaine. “This is all you.”

“Ok.” The phone call Blaine received had changed the way he expected to do this. He and Brody had been through a lot, but so had someone else and that was the person he had to take care of now. “Besides having to be consulted if Stafford was moved, I had two other demands…one official, one settled privately. The official one was his parents had to make a million dollar donation to the Trevor Project.”

“Nice.”

“I thought so. Watching them write the check was mildly cathartic.”

“So, what was the unofficial demand?”

“Five million dollars put into a trust for the unnamed second victim." Blaine handed Brody the file. “That’s all the information you need except the code to release the funds. However, I’m not giving it to you until you agree to do something first."

"What?"

"You have to tell Doug your story.”

It took Brody a moment to remember who Doug was. “As in your roommate?”

“Brody, we would have never known his brother was involved in our attack if he didn’t speak up. He deserves the truth." Blaine glanced down at his knuckles and was hit with a wave of guilt. "I’m not trying to be an ass but Doug blames himself for what happened with my hands. Like if he would have found help faster…”

As much as he never wanted to go through this again, there was no hesitation in Brody’s voice. “When?”

“Saturday morning before we all go back to Ohio. Well, not you.”

“Done.”

It was startling how fast the atmosphere in the room changed once everything was out in the open. Al told Cam every embarrassing story he could think of, most neither Blaine or Brody had thought of in years. The fun was interrupted when Cam received a text but it was news he knew Blaine would want. “You were right, Blaine. Hummel was staying with Travis but he kicked him out. Guess he wasn’t happy he about being fired.” He didn’t look up as his phone continued to ping with new messages. “Looks like Hummel found a place to crash. He’s at Adam Crawford’s place.”

“Actually, that makes sense.” From the look he received, Brody realized he had forgotten to tell Blaine something. “Adam is Kurt’s mentor now, not Rachel.”

“And that’s our cue to leave.” Al was speaking to Cam but Cam was still focused on his phone. “Is there something wrong?”

“No, no…sure, let’s head out.” Cam had been in contact with Sam and Cooper most of the afternoon, but had hid what was happening from Al. That’s why he was relieved to see Sam outside the building waiting for them. It was better if this came from him.

Meanwhile inside, Blaine had a few questions about the mentor switch. Finding out Brody was the instigator was a little less surprising after hearing about his connection to Carmen. However, that didn’t mean he was happy about it. “What the hell is going on with you and Rachel?”

“I know you have problems with her Blaine…”

“I have more than problems with her. Just tell me she not sucking you into her drama.”

“That was offensive and I’m not being sucked into anything. In fact, I specifically told her I couldn’t be her replacement for Sebastian…or Finn. But, a lot of why she was lonely and vulnerable to Kurt was due to me so getting her a new mentee was the least I could do. Adam being taken off as liaison and getting stuck with Kurt was a bonus.”

“I’m sorry, it’s…”

“I get it and so does Rachel. She fucked up. Sending her dads was a good move though it might have been more strategic to wait. The not knowing was beginning to get to her. She was so paranoid she thought you were behind her eviction notice.”

“I was.” Before he could elaborate, Blaine saw something that made him smile. “Bas! What are you doing here?”

“Can’t I surprise my amazing boyfriend? Hey, Brody.” Sebastian was unsure what to say to him but somehow had to get Brody to stay. He had hoped they would be talking about Blaine and Sam’s NYADA performance. He could have kept that conversation going but Blaine and Brody had been arguing. At least it sounded like a brotherly spat and not a lover’s quarrel…thank god.

“Hi, Sebastian. Ok, so I’m going to go…”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“Yes, I do. Your boyfriend requested a mariachi band for his NYADA appearance and I can honestly say I don’t know if NYADA has one.” It was the truth, but that didn’t mean Brody wanted to stay and watch the way Blaine and Sebastian were together.

“No, what I’m trying to say is…” Fortunately, he could stop stalling. “Took you long enough.”

“Sorry for the delay. My conversation outside took longer than I planned.”

Sebastian’s arrival surprised Blaine. Sam’s confused him. “Sam, what going on?”

“I know why Sugar’s not talking to you. It’s not what you think.”

Brody had never seen Blaine that angry. He didn’t yell, he went quiet…too quiet. “Will someone tell me what’s going on? Because if it involves Sugar, I have the right to know.”

“First I want two promises from each of you…remember this is already being taken care of and don’t shoot the messenger.”

Neither made the promises.

Sam took a deep breath. He knew he and Sebastian could handle Blaine individually but Brody was a huge unknown. “Mr. Schue saw the Stress Relief video from Saturday. The one with me, Finn and Mike singing _In the End_ with the Warblers and Alumni at CallBacks.”

Blaine noticeably clutched his fists. “And?”

“He saw Sugar in the audience so he held her after Spanish to ask her about it.”

Brody picked up on Blaine’s tells. “And?”

“She wouldn’t answer him so he yelled at her. Kitty heard him and got her out of there but…”

Blaine looked to Sebastian who nodded a confirmation “But what, Sam?”

“That was yesterday. This morning he demanded answers about my being a NYADA finalist. Ryder had to physically knock him out of the way to get her out of there and…Sugar was crying. Mr. Schue has been suspended pending investigation.”

Sebastian and Sam were prepared for an explosion, but not total silence and then for Blaine and Brody to simultaneously head toward the door. “Where are you two going?” Sebastian asked.

To this point they hadn't said anything to each other, yet replied in unison “Lima.”

That Sam expected. “Blaine, you can’t go.”

“Why not?”

“Because Sugar didn’t want you to know. She didn’t want anything interfering with your concert. If you go back to Lima she’ll blame herself for being a distraction.”

“That’s not fair.”

“No, this isn’t.” Sebastian was holding up his phone. “Go ahead.”

_Blainey?_

“Sugar-bear?”

_Is Tommy…I mean Brody there?_

“I’m right here, Sweetie.”

Sebastian handed Blaine his phone then he and Sam went to the other side of the room to give them as much privacy as they could with the phone on speaker. “I know we’re not supposed to talk Nationals, but Sam, I don’t see how Schuster comes back from this. Are you guys going to be ok?”

Sam stifled a laugh then matter-of-factly told Sebastian “Don’t worry. The New Directions will still kick Warbler ass at Nationals. I’ve been preparing a back-up plan for weeks.”

“I’m not surprised the idiot fucked-up, but I’m floored he went after Sugar. That takes a special brand of stupid. I’m not just talking about her dad, or Cooper now that he’s taken over that end of the business. B’s going to want revenge…consequences.”

“Oh, I know. I’ve already called some of the musicians here and told them to be ready to prepare something new.”

“What are you talking about? Why would B take something out? As much as he would want to take a dig at Schuster, the set list is set.”

“He won’t take a song out, he’ll add one. Mr. Barnes has already been hinting he wished there was just one more song. It won’t be a problem.”

“So, you and B expect everyone to learn a new number and have it performance ready in 2 days?”

“Why not? If the McKinley Jazz Band can do it a bunch of musicians from Julliard should be able to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the timeline of the story it would have only been a couple of weeks between the time Blaine found out about what Brody was doing and getting the trust money. Also, in my mind he somehow knew Brody stopped. Blaine may have been upset but wouldn't have let Brody prostitute himself when he had 5 million dollars.
> 
> Who Knew: Alecia Moore, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin 2006
> 
> The Sebreak happened in Chapters 36 & 37 The Break-Up & Telephone
> 
> The I still love you Letter is in Chapter 45 Scorched Earth.
> 
> The confidentiality agreements were signed in Chapter 54 A Good Old Fashioned A** Whippin’. There will be more about them next chapter.
> 
> Cam’s guilt over not being in the parking garage is a reference to Slushie-gate.
> 
> The reveal of Doug’s brother as the attacker and the damage to Blaine’s hands happened in Chapters 18 & 19  
> The Blindside Part 1 & 2


End file.
